Author: quyen1

Eddie Hearn has shared what really happened between Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury after the Gypsy King gatecrashed a reception held by Chairman of General Authority for Entertainment Turki Alakshikh ahead of Friday’s ‘Knockout Chaos’ clash.

The Cameroonian heavyweight is preparing to fight Hearn’s fighter Anthony Joshua in the showpiece bout in Riyadh, but his old foe Fury stole the spotlight when he confronted him at Alalshikh’s house on Tuesday evening.

Mail Sport reported on Wednesday that Fury had accused Ngannou of calling him a ‘coward’, which the latter denied, but warned the Briton: ‘If we ever fight in the street or anywhere else outside the boxing ring, you will be in serious trouble’.

The explosive war of words between the two fighters took place in front of a glittering crowd including Saudi-based footballing superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

Hearn was also there to witness the fracas, telling Mail Sport that the brouhaha had been ‘scary for a while’.

Eddie Hearn opened up about the stand-off between Francis Ngannou (right) and Tyson Fury (centre-right) at Turki Alalshikh’s house (centre)

The Gypsy King cut a fractious figure when he accused Ngannou of calling him a coward

Also in attendance at the glittering reception was Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo

‘He was on great form this week, Tyson Fury, obviously not fighting this week,’ Hearn said.

‘I feel like I didn’t know if what happened in the room stayed in a room, but there’s already been some reports about Fury letting his feelings be known to Ngannou, which is true. He did stick it on him.

‘And it was a little bit scary for a little bit scary for a while, a lot of big men in that room last night.’

But Hearn’s fighter, true to form, stayed out of the fray, with the promoter noting that he was ‘sitting in the corner, just observing’ the scene he described as ‘very surreal’.

‘It’s become almost tradition here in Saudi Arabia that a couple of nights before the fight, we go to His Excellency’s house,’ Hearn said of Tuesday night’s reception. ‘And all the fighters from the card are in one room.

Eddie Hearn reveals what really happened between Fury and Ngannou

The Matchroom promoter seemed relived that Anthony Joshua had stayed above the fray

AJ kept himself to himself, chatting briefly to fellow fighters Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker

Fury is not fighting during his stint in Saudi Arabia and instead preparing for his blockbuster clash with Oleksandr Usyk

‘So yeah, definitely unique. And it’s almost like a last show of respect before it’s war time on Friday.’

Also taking part on Friday’s card are Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang, on the heels of the New Zealand heavyweight’s victory against Deontay Parker in the city last December, both of whom AJ chatted to – but the 34-year-old swerved a confrontation with one much-discussed future opponent.

‘AJ kept himself to himself, Fury didn’t talk to him,’ Hearn confirmed. ‘He had a chat with Zhang, obviously he’s friendly with Parker.

‘But yeah, (Fury) was causing a little bit of mischief but he was on good form. He was on very good form, and looked well, looked very fit considering now there’s quite a bit of time to the fight, but he seemed very motivated to meet (Oleksandr) Usyk on May 18.’

Also in the room was Hearn’s great rival – and Fury’s promoter – Frank Warren, head of Queensberry Promotions.

But relations have cooled somewhat between the two rivals with the rise of big-money, efficiently organised fights in Saudi Arabia forcing the pair together.

Hearn noted ‘worryingly’ that the pair might now have something close to a friendship.

The 34-year-old and his Cameroonian opponent will meet in ‘Knockout Chaos’ on Friday night

Hearn also shared details on his increasingly warm relationship with rival Frank Warren (left)

‘I better not tell my old man (founder of Matchroom Sport Barry Hearn), they really didn’t get on either, but my dad always said to me, “you’ll really enjoy Frank’s company” and I do.

‘The first thing he said to me when I saw him this week was, “what a win for your boy in New York”. We share a passion for boxing, we love the sport, we love the game, we love the business, we love to win.

‘Although we’re friendly and coming together, the five-v-five (Queensberry vs Matchroom five-fight card) will be vicious out of the ring because we’re desperate to win.

‘I can’t lose to Queensbury and vice versa, so it’s gonna be it’s going to be really competitive and fun, and we’ve got a lot planned for the launch of that massive event.’

Victoria Beckham looked in great spirits as she enjoyed a night out with her girlfriends in Miami on Monday.

The former Spice Girls singer, 49, took to her Instagram Story as she shared a snap with a group of pals enjoying dinner and drinks as they let their hair down on a girls’ night out in the Florida city.

The mother-of-four and her friends were also joined by Harper, 12, with the youngest of the Beckham brood attending the fun evening.

Victoria looked stylish in a black denim jacket as she sat beside her daughter and model Isabel Grutman.

She was also joined by pals Sarah Blundell, Jasmine Hollowday and Mariel.

Victoria Beckham, 49, enjoyed a girls’ night out with daughter Harper, 12, and her pals Mariel, Sarah Blundell, Jasmine Hollowday and Isabel Grutman (L-R) in Miami on Monday

Victoria captioned the post: ‘Girls night out! Kisses from Miami!!!’ (sic)

It seems the fashionista is including Harper in her social occasions more frequently after the 12-year-old also attended a Vogue event with her mother.

The pair enjoyed some quality time together as they joined the women at Vogue magazine for a lunch and talk last week.

Victoria looked sensational for the event as she donned a chic white suit from her upcoming Spring/Summer collection.

Pairing the suit with a simple black leather belt, she and Harper perfectly complemented each other, as her daughter donned an all black floor-length dress.

The youngest of the Beckham brood smiled in the snap with her mum, while Victoria also shared it on her story with the caption: ‘Love u so much #Harper Seven!!!’

She captioned her main post: ‘Special day with #HarperSeven and the #Vogue100 ladies @TheWebster!! Thank you @VogueMagazine, my friends and @lhd!! Kisses from Miami xx

‘I’m wearing my #VBSS24 white suit, coming soon to VictoriaBeckham.com and 36 Dover Street!!’

It seems the fashionista is including Harper in her social occasions more frequently after the 12-year-old also attended a Vogue event together last week (pictured)

The former Spice Girls singer looked sensational as she donned a chic white suit for the event from her Spring Summer collection launching next year

Victoria and husband David have been busy lately after four sixths of the Beckham clan joined former President Barack Obama at a charity event last week.

The couple took their youngest children Cruz, 18, and Harper to meet Obama while throwing their support behind his charity, The Obama Foundation, where they shared sweet snaps from the meeting.

The couple posed for the images alongside the former POTUS alongside gushing captions lauding him for his work with the charity.

David took to Instagram to pen: ‘I was Honoured to spend time with @BarackObama in support of the incredible work the @ObamaFoundation is doing to empower the next generation of leaders around the world…

‘A towering example of grace and humility, it was so inspiring to hear about the innovative projects that are changing young lives and improving communities…

‘Thank you Mr President it was a privilege to hear you speak with such passion and conviction.’

Victoria added: ‘Such an honour to welcome and host @barackobama in support of the incredible work the @obamafoundation is doing to empower the next generation of leaders around the world…

‘Thank you for all that you do to change young lives and improve communities. Thank you Mr President.@Davidbeckham’.

Showbiz royalty met with political royalty on Thursday, when four sixths of the Beckham clan joined former President Barack Obama at a charity event

Red Bull’s majority owner has reportedly sent a family member – dubbed the ‘Thai spy’ – to keep tabs on the Christian Horner scandal and the wider company.

The ‘spy’ has been taking a detailed look at each department after flying in to the company headquarters in Salzburg, as per BILD.

There are fears the Thai ownership could be poised to make sweeping changes as the ruling family have typically been hands-off until now.

Horner and the direct F1 team work from a base in Milton Keynes.

He has been mired in a scandal following accusations of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ by a female employee ahead of the 2024 season, though an internal investigation cleared him.

Red Bull’s majority owner Chalerm Yoovidhya (right) has ‘sent a spy to Red Bull’s HQ in Austria’

Yoovidhya’s family member ‘spy’ is reportedly taking a detailed look at each department

Hundreds of messages allegedly from Horner – some sexual – were spilled to the media and F1 powerhouses, but Red Bull affirmed he would not be sacked and his accuser has been suspended.

Chalerm Yoovidhya owns 51 per cent of Red Bull and has a staggering personal fortune in the region of £26.3billion, as reported by Forbes last year.

His family are reckoned to be the second-richest in Thailand.

According to BILD, they are ready to assert more dominance over how Red Bull’s F1 operation is run.

Company founder Dietrich Mateschitz, an Austrian billionaire who died in 2022, previously held enormous sway over the team.

Upon his passing, Horner said: ‘He was an incredible man and he loved Formula One. We owe him a great deal as a team.’

With Mateschitz no longer around, the Yoovidhya are reportedly interested in stepping up their involvement, hence the flying visit.

Previously they would just make the occasional visit to races.

The scandal surrounding Horner has been a PR disaster for F1 and many high-up figures have spoken of the need for the situation to be resolved quickly.

Horner, husband of former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, is under enormous pressure at Red Bull amid the ‘sex text’ scandal after a female employee accused him of ‘inappropriate behaviour’

The 50-year-old team principal was exonerated of wrongdoing after a Red Bull investigation and his accuser was suspended, but she has since launched an appeal

The woman at the centre of the Red Bull texting scandal launched an appeal against the company’s findings exonerating Horner last week.

An internal inquiry involving a KC cleared him of wrongdoing last month and he remained in charge for the opening two races of the season.

Horner, husband to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, is also due to be in post for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on Sunday.

But he is facing further pressure with news of the appeal, which has been lodged with parent company, Red Bull GmbH, in Salzburg, rather than with the Milton Keynes-based racing team.

The woman, who has been suspended on full pay, has recently changed lawyers – a precursor to her latest legal move.

MailOnline has contacted Red Bull for comment.

Guenther Steiner hopes Red Bull ‘put an end’ to the row engulfing Christian Horner, with the team principal’s ‘sex texts’ scandal overshadowing the start of the Formula One season.

Red Bull team boss Horner was accused of ‘coercive behaviour’ by an unnamed female employee before he was cleared by a lawyer hired by the motorsports team to investigate.

However, the woman has since launched an appeal against the outcome after she was suspended by the team for giving ‘dishonest’ evidence.

The Formula One circus is rolling into Melbourne this weekend for the third race of the season but Horner’s off-track drama remains the topic of conversation, and former Haas boss Steiner hopes that the saga will end soon.

Guenther Steiner hopes there is an ‘end’ to the Christian Horner scandal soon

Horner (right) has been under the spotlight amid a ‘sex texts’ scandal

Reflecting on the mood inside Red Bull, he told ABC Sport: ‘In the higher ranks of the company, there will be… some people rethinking what they want to do,’ he said.

‘I hope that for the sake of Formula One … they put an end to it … and we move on.’

Steiner has picked up work as a television commentator since being relieved of his duties by Haas over the off-season, and will be in the paddock for the Albert Park race this weekend.

He is taking his time away from the cut and thrust of the sport to consider his next move.

‘I don’t know if I want to be back as a team principal,’ he admitted.

‘Maybe setting up a new team, for the new era of Formula One … that could be an opportunity.’

Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson asked YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul one question in a new video ahead of their fight.

“Day three, you still wanna f**k with me?” Tyson said at the end of a montage of his training for the July 20 bout that was shared on X, formerly Twitter.

Paul replied, “Yes, yes I do.”

Tyson, 57, began training last week for his clash against Paul, 27, which will take place at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Netflix will broadcast the fight.

Tyson has shared clips of his training on X each day.

“It’s day one, the fun has just begun,” he said in his first one:

“Day two, getting ready for you,” he warned in the second:

On day four, Tyson said Paul “don’t know what you got in store.”

Tyson’s last exhibition fight in November 2020 was a split draw with Roy Jones Jr. when Paul was on the undercard. Paul’s professional record is 9-1 with his only loss coming last year to Tommy Fury, the former United Kingdom “Love Island” star who won via split decision.

Eddie Hearn has shared what really happened between Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury after the Gypsy King gatecrashed a reception held by Chairman of General Authority for Entertainment Turki Alakshikh ahead of Friday’s ‘Knockout Chaos’ clash.

The Cameroonian heavyweight is preparing to fight Hearn’s fighter Anthony Joshua in the showpiece bout in Riyadh, but his old foe Fury stole the spotlight when he confronted him at Alalshikh’s house on Tuesday evening.

Mail Sport reported on Wednesday that Fury had accused Ngannou of calling him a ‘coward’, which the latter denied, but warned the Briton: ‘If we ever fight in the street or anywhere else outside the boxing ring, you will be in serious trouble’.

The explosive war of words between the two fighters took place in front of a glittering crowd including Saudi-based footballing superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

Hearn was also there to witness the fracas, telling Mail Sport that the brouhaha had been ‘scary for a while’.

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Eddie Hearn opened up about the stand-off between Francis Ngannou (right) and Tyson Fury (centre-right) at Turki Alalshikh’s house (centre)

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The Gypsy King cut a fractious figure when he accused Ngannou of calling him a coward

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Also in attendance at the glittering reception was Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo

‘He was on great form this week, Tyson Fury, obviously not fighting this week,’ Hearn said.

‘I feel like I didn’t know if what happened in the room stayed in a room, but there’s already been some reports about Fury letting his feelings be known to Ngannou, which is true. He did stick it on him.

‘And it was a little bit scary for a little bit scary for a while, a lot of big men in that room last night.’

But Hearn’s fighter, true to form, stayed out of the fray, with the promoter noting that he was ‘sitting in the corner, just observing’ the scene he described as ‘very surreal’.

‘It’s become almost tradition here in Saudi Arabia that a couple of nights before the fight, we go to His Excellency’s house,’ Hearn said of Tuesday night’s reception. ‘And all the fighters from the card are in one room.

Eddie Hearn reveals what really happened between Fury and Ngannou

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The Matchroom promoter seemed relived that Anthony Joshua had stayed above the fray

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AJ kept himself to himself, chatting briefly to fellow fighters Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker

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Fury is not fighting during his stint in Saudi Arabia and instead preparing for his blockbuster clash with Oleksandr Usyk

‘So yeah, definitely unique. And it’s almost like a last show of respect before it’s war time on Friday.’

Also taking part on Friday’s card are Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang, on the heels of the New Zealand heavyweight’s victory against Deontay Parker in the city last December, both of whom AJ chatted to – but the 34-year-old swerved a confrontation with one much-discussed future opponent.

‘AJ kept himself to himself, Fury didn’t talk to him,’ Hearn confirmed. ‘He had a chat with Zhang, obviously he’s friendly with Parker.

‘But yeah, (Fury) was causing a little bit of mischief but he was on good form. He was on very good form, and looked well, looked very fit considering now there’s quite a bit of time to the fight, but he seemed very motivated to meet (Oleksandr) Usyk on May 18.’

Also in the room was Hearn’s great rival – and Fury’s promoter – Frank Warren, head of Queensberry Promotions.

But relations have cooled somewhat between the two rivals with the rise of big-money, efficiently organised fights in Saudi Arabia forcing the pair together.

Hearn noted ‘worryingly’ that the pair might now have something close to a friendship.

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The 34-year-old and his Cameroonian opponent will meet in ‘Knockout Chaos’ on Friday night

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Hearn also shared details on his increasingly warm relationship with rival Frank Warren (left)

‘I better not tell my old man (founder of Matchroom Sport Barry Hearn), they really didn’t get on either, but my dad always said to me, “you’ll really enjoy Frank’s company” and I do.

‘The first thing he said to me when I saw him this week was, “what a win for your boy in New York”. We share a passion for boxing, we love the sport, we love the game, we love the business, we love to win.

‘Although we’re friendly and coming together, the five-v-five (Queensberry vs Matchroom five-fight card) will be vicious out of the ring because we’re desperate to win.

‘I can’t lose to Queensbury and vice versa, so it’s gonna be it’s going to be really competitive and fun, and we’ve got a lot planned for the launch of that massive event.’

Anthony Joshua is currently ranked as No 28 on Forbes’ list of the World’s Highest-Paid Athletes for 2023 having earned a whopping £41million ($53m).

Despite that, his net wealth is set to rise again over the coming years thanks to Saudi Arabia’s influence in boxing.

This Friday, the British heavyweight boxer is set to take home another massive payday following his fight with Francis Ngannou at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.

In fact, even before he steps into the ring, the 34-year-old is set to pocket an eye-watering £39m ($50m).

That’s nearly quadruple the base purse he took home following his first meeting with Oleksandr Usyk at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, where Joshua pocketed £10m ($12m) plus 60 per cent of the pay-per-view (PPV) revenue, while his opponent took £3m ($3.8m) of the pre-PPV purse.

Anthony Joshua (left) will pocket an eye-watering £39m for his fight against Francis Ngannou (right) on Friday night

There is much talk that Joshua could stake a claim for a world title fight if he beats Ngannou

Equally, the former UFC star currently sits 10th in the WBC rankings, but could move back to fighting in MMA

Since Saudi Arabia have has stepped into the boxing market, fighters like Joshua, Usyk and Fury have been able to profit from much larger bigger purses.

Joshua’s first bout in the Middle Eastern state came back in 2019, where he recovered his IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles from Andry Ruiz Jr.

That fight broke records amassing a whopping 1.6m PPV buys with Joshua walking away with a big cheque and his world heavyweight titles after having lost them to Ruiz in their previous bout.

For boxers, the financial benefits of fighting in Saudi Arabia are clear to see, with Tyson Fury taking home £39m ($50m) following his bout against Ngannou during their ‘Battle of the Baddest’ clash late last year – with the former MMA star claimign £8.2m ($10m).

Yet, while Joshua is set to receive one of the biggest paydays of his career, his fight vs Ngannou remarkably does not see him go top of the rankings of boxings biggest paydays.

Here, Mail Sport looks at some of the biggest paydays made by fighters without PPV earnings in boxing history.

Joshua’s (right) first fight in Saudi Arabia came when the former world champion defeated Andy Ruiz (left) in their second bout

Ngannou (left) troubled Tyson Fury (right) during their fight in October, knocking him to the canvas in the third round

10. Anthony Joshua (£20m) vs Alexander Povetkin – 2018

Back in 2018, Joshua defended his heavyweight belts against Povetkin, knocking the Russian fighter down twice in the seventh round of their bout to claim a TKO victory.

The fight took place at Wembley Stadium in London, with the British fighter netting £20m ($25m) before PPV sales, according to The Express.

Povetkin would also take home a nice pay check of £6m ($7m) for the fight.

Joshua (right) knocked Alexander Povetkin (left) to the canvas twice during their fight in 2018

9. Tyson Fury (£22m) vs Deontay Wilder III – 2021

Fury called a time on his long-standing feud with Wilder after claiming an 11th round knockout in what was one of the best fights of 2021.

In fact, the pair put on such a show that it won Ring Magazine’s award for Fight of the Year.

Despite that, both boxers walked away with their pockets well lined, with the bout generating approximately 900,000 PPV sales worldwide.

According to The Sun, the Gypsy King was guaranteed to have earned £22m ($27m) for the fight, plus 60 per cent of the PPV sales.

Wilder, meanwhile, is said to have taken home £15m ($11m) as well as the remaining PPV take.

Fury banked a base check of £22m for his trilogy fight against Deontay Wilder in 2021

8. Evander Holyfield (£23m) vs Mike Tyson II – 1997

Holyfield and Tyson stepped into the ring for the second time in 1997, re-igniting their much anticipated feud, after the former had come out of retirement to shock Tyson and secure victory.

When the pair met again one year later in 1997, Holyfield was guaranteed £23m ($30m) for the fight, while Tyson took home £11m ($15m) before PPV sales.

The fight wasn’t without drama either, with the bout being stopped at the end of the third round after Tyson had bitten off a piece of Holyfield’s right ear and was subsequently disqualified.

Talk of a trilogy fight had subsequently arisen in 2021, but that fight never materialised, with Holyfield claiming that Tyson had turned down a £19m ($25m) offer to step into the ring once again, per talkSPORT.

Evander Holyfield (right) picked up a hefty paycheck during his fight against Mike Tyson, but lost a part of his ear in the process

7. Canelo Alvarez (£27m) vs Sergey Kovalev – 2019

This was a huge bout for the WBO light heavyweight championship, with Kovalev failing to retain his belt after he was knocked out by the Mexican fighter in the 11th round at the MGM Garden Arena in Paradise, Nevada.

Alvarez also picked up a pretty nice pay check on the night, taking home £27m ($34m) before factoring in PPV sales.

It comes after he signed what is the richest contract in sports history with DAZN, that will tie him down to the streaming site for five-years in a deal worth £287m.

He is contracted to fight 11-times during that period, with each fight set to net him around £27m.

Canelo Alvarez (right) is currently contracted to DAZN on a deal that will see him earn £27m per fight

6. Floyd Mayweather (£32m) vs Canelo Alvarez – 2013

Mayweather and Alvarez collided in a huge match-up in 2013, with the pair squaring off at a 152-pound catchweight.

Marketed as ‘The One’, Mayweather went on to defeat the former undisputed super middleweight champion over 12 rounds via a majority decision.

While the fight garnered a ton of PPV sales, Mayweather was guaranteed £32m ($41.5m) before the fight, with Alvarez taking £3.93 ($5m) before the fight, according to The Guardian.

Floyd Mayweather (left) and Alvarez (right) did battle in 2013, with the former winning and picking up a guaranteed £32m

5. Tyson Fury (£39m) vs Francis Ngannou – 2023

According to reports from Derek Chisora, who was speaking on Fight Hub TV, Fury reportedly banked himself an eye-watering £39m ($50m) before PPV sales for his ‘Battle of the Baddest’ fight vs Ngannou .

It was a testing fight for the Manchester boxer, though, who was knocked down by the UFC champion during what was a thrilling exhibition of boxing that saw Ngannou establish himself in the WBC rankings.

Fury (right) and Ngannou’s (left) bout at last year’s ‘Battle of the Baddest’ saw the Gypsy King reportedly earn a whopping £39m before PPV sales

4. Anthony Joshua (£39m) vs Francis Ngannou – 2024

Joshua is set to earn approximately £39m according to The Independent when he meets the UFC champion in the ring on Friday afternoon.

It is one of the biggest paydays of his career and he is likely to take home a lot more than that, depending on how many PPV sales this fight does.

Joshua (left), will also earn £39m for his fight against Ngannou (right) on Friday night in Saudi Arabia

3. Anthony Joshua (£47m) vs Andy Ruiz II – 2019

Joshua’s first fight in Saudi Arabia was perhaps one of the most lucrative fights of his career.

He enacted revenge on Ruiz, but also picked up a check of £46m ($36m) on the night, thanks in part to the site fee Eddie Hearn had secured to fight in Diriyah.

That was reportedly around £31m ($24m), according to The Independent, with Ruiz earning more than £10m ($12m) before PPV sales.

But it is not his biggest payout with Joshua (right) netting a whopping £46m during his second fight vs Ruiz (left)

2.  Floyd Mayweather (£78m) vs Conor McGregor – 2017

McGregor swapped the Octagon for the ring as he attempted to inflict the first defeat of Mayweather’s career in what was dubbed ‘The Money Fight’.

The pair did battle at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in one of the greatest cross-over fights, with ‘Money’ extending his fight record to 50-0.

And despite suffering defeat, the former UFC champion netted a hefty paycheck from the fight of around £23m – not including a share of the £325m PPV revenue.

Mail Sport exclusively revealed in 2022 that Mayweather wanted another bout against the Irishman, after he had earned a whopping £78m from their previous bout, according to talkSPORT.

Mayweather and McGregor took to the ring in 2017, with the former defending his unbeaten record and picking up a whopping £78m before any PPV sales were accounted for

1. Floyd Mayweather (£223.5) vs Manny Pacquiao – 2015

Mayweather was crowned Forbes’ highest paid athlete in 2018 having made his millions prize fighting some of the best boxers in the world, including Pacquiao.

After around six years of feuding, the pair finally squared off in a mega fight, that, according to DAZN, was worth a whopping £678m.

The ‘Fight of the Century’ didn’t quite live up to its name with Mayweather beating Pacquiao to retain his undefeated status in what was a thrilling clash of two of boxing’s greatest stars in Las Vegas.

The ‘Fight of the Century’ underwhelmed but from a financial perspective, both Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao came away much richer, with Mayweather netting £223.5m

The fight, which took six years to make, brought in audiences from around the world and earned around £333m in PPV buys.

But it was ‘Money’ Mayweather who took away a huge pre-PPV check of £223.5m, while Pacquiao claimed £122m for the fight, per DAZN.

The boxer Anthony Joshua enjoyed a ‘late-night flirtation’ with Rita Mahrez, the wife of Man City player Riyad Mahrez.

The 26-year-old model and singer was seen with her hand on the heavyweight champion’s knee at Tape night club in London.

She and the professional footballer Riyad, 28 — father to her two children — have agreed a trial split, and are living 200 miles apart.

The boxer Anthony Joshua enjoyed a late-night flirtation with Rita Mahrez, the wife of Man City player Riyad Mahrez. The couple are pictured in 2017

The 26-year-old model and singer was seen with her hand on the heavyweight champion’s knee at Tape night club in London

A spokesman for Anthony Joshua (pictured) said: ‘Anthony was approached in the nightclub and politely declined all advances’

A clubgoer told The Sun: ‘Rita bumped into AJ on her way out and he invited her to join him at his table in VIP.

‘Rita, who was with a female pal, clearly thought AJ was incredibly hot. They then spent much of the evening laughing and flirting.’

The source added that he didn’t have a clue who she was but thought she was a pretty girl.

It is claimed that when the club owner pointed out she was Riyad’s wife, Anthony become awkward and backed away.

Riyad and Rita with their daughter Inaya in 2016. The couple are reportedly now living apart

Anthony, 30, is the second boxer that Rita has been linked to, with reports emerging earlier this year of the American boxer Deontay Wilder (pictured) flirting with her at a club in Manchester

They then left the club at around 3am and got into separate cars.

Anthony, 30, is the second boxer that Rita has been linked to, with reports emerging earlier this year of the American boxer Deontay Wilder flirting with her at a club in Manchester.

Riyad (pictured)- who is Muslim – often shuns the party lifestyle

Riyad – who is Muslim – often shuns the party lifestyle and sources said he was devastated by Deontay’s flirtation with his wife.

The couple have now left their Cheshire mansion after trying to salvage their four-year marriage.

Riyad is staying in a Manchester penthouse while Rita is in a £2million pad in Buckinghamshire, according to reports.

A spokesman for Anthony Joshua said: ‘Anthony was approached in the nightclub and politely declined all advances.’

Joshua is single after his split from dancer Nicole Osbourne in 2016.

Oleksandr Usyk refused to watch back Anthony Joshua‘s brutal knockout of Francis Ngannou from earlier this month.

Joshua knocked down Ngannou for the first time in his career in the first round before putting him on the canvas again early in the second.

The fight was over when Joshua put Ngannou to the floor for the third time with a powerful right hand in the second round, with the former UFC fighter unable to get back to his feet after the knockout.

WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight world champion Usyk was handed a laptop to watch back the fight during a filming with DAZN this week.

The Ukrainian did not say anything but was left grimacing as he cast his eye over Joshua’s dominant performance.

Anthony Joshua saw off Francis Ngannou in just two rounds with an explosive knockout

Oleksandr Usyk grimaced as he struggled to watch the fight on replay

After seeing Joshua knock down Ngannou for a second time, Usyk closed the laptop to avoid seeing the brutal knockout that followed moments later.

The 37-year-old didn’t explain his reaction but in the past expressed his preference of beating opponents on points instead of a knockout.

Asked why he didn’t knockout Joshua during their first bout in 2021, Usyk responded: ‘Why are you so bloodthirsty?

‘There is victory, everything is fine. Why is it necessary for a person to fall?

‘He has a mother and father. This is a big chunk of health if a person falls. I’m not for that.’

Usyk will finally meet Tyson Fury in the ring on May 18 as part of Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia to crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era.

He could face Joshua for a third time if he succeeds in beating the Gypsy King.

Conor McGregor has once again changed his tune over a potential fight against KSI, after having previously claimed he was no longer interested in fighting the YouTuber-turned-boxer.

In August 2023, the Irishman called out the London-born internet star for a bare-knuckle boxing bout after Anthony Joshua‘s victory against Robert Helenius at the O2 Arena in London.

KSI and McGregor were both in attendance with the former UFC champion storming into the ring, saying: ‘I know your man KSI is in the crowd and he couldn’t box eggs if he worked in an egg boxing factory.’

‘So, if he wants to get in here, I’ll give him a final yoke, bare-knuckle if you want.’

Since then, the 35-year-old has dialed back his offer to fight the content creator, telling The Mirror he was ‘not interested’ and that his initial call out had been a joke.

‘It was just a bit of craic,’ he said, when questioned why he made the comments.

More recently, Tommy Fury staked a claim to fight McGregor after Joshua’s sensational second round  knock out victory against Francis Ngannou last week.

Fury secured a controversial majority decision win over KSI in October 2023 and appears to be eyeing up a sensational return to the ring against the former UFC champion, who once swapped the Octagon for the boxing ring to face Manny Pacquiao.

Conor McGregor (pictured left) has changed his tune over a potential fight against KSI (pictured right), after having previously claimed he was no longer interested in the bout

 McGregor (left) called KSI out after Anthony Joshua defeated Robert Helenius last year

He told DAZN: ‘I’ve seen that Jake Paul is fighting Mike Tyson, I mean why not me and McGregor next? I’ve got a comeback fight and I’d like him for my return so McGregor, get in touch.’

McGregor could be hamstrung by his commitments to the UFC, with the former champion set to make a comeback after he suffered a devastating fractured leg during his fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021.

Despite his lucrative deal with the UFC, which could inhibit him from stepping back into the ring, the Irish MMA star claimed that he would now be open to fighting KSI.

‘Yeah you know, the YouTube nerds could be like, I would consider that a nixer (a side job),’ McGregor said to SneekPeakTV.

‘Your Uncle’s friend needs a f****** radiator fitted in his house, so you’ll do a side job, and get side pay.

‘I would consider them guys to be nixers. If I was to pick one out of them, I would say KSI, he has a big name in the UK.’

Fury also delivered his reaction to former Love Island star Fury’s desire to fight him.

‘[Tommy] Fury called me out yesterday, and he beat Jake and he fought KSI so it’s just like another little world isn’t it?’

‘I’m open to it.’ McGregor concluded. ‘I’ll never say no, I’ll never say no.’

There were rumours that McGregor could return to fight at UFC 300, but those claims were dismissed after Dana White revealed UFC 300’s main event will see Alex Pereira defend his light-heavyweight crown against Jamahal Hill.

Fury called out the former UFC champion after Joshua’s win vs Francis Ngannou last week

McGregor has previously stated he wants to fight Michael Chandler and Nate Diaz as he plots a return from a horrific leg break suffered against Dustin Poirier in 2021

Like many other boxing fans, the Irishman was also left perplexed by the recent news that Jake Paul (pictured left) would be set to take on Mike Tyson (pictured right) in the boxing ring

But it looks like he could make his comeback in 2024 and has admitted he wants to fight Nate Diaz and Michael Chandler following his three-year hiatus.

Meanwhile, Jake Paul, 27, has sent shockwaves through the world of boxing after it was announced that he would be taking on former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, 57.

Their meeting has gathered much attention online, with some fans left baffled by the fight, while others have warned Paul, another YouTube-boxing sensation, that he could get hurt.

And McGregor admitted he was perplexed by the bout, claiming: ‘The Pauls… That [Mike] Tyson fight is just a strange one to me, I hope Tyson takes his nose off.

‘I’m sure at some stage [I’ll end up fighting one of them], I’m sure at some stage. You know, we’ll go through all of these guys.