Author: quyen1

Credits: IMAGO / Eibner

Esteban Ocon finds himself at a very difficult juncture in his F1 career currently as Alpine’s struggles continue into the 2024 season. The performances of the French outfit have worsened since the end of the last campaign, and some of their key technical personnel have also departed the team. As a result, the hope for any improvement seems bleak at the moment. So, how did Ocon get stuck in such a situation despite having stability in his career for the first time? Apparently, this stability has backfired as the 27-year-old’s long-term bet on Alpine is not paying off.

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The factors behind Ocon’s dilemma date back to 2018-19 when he received the pink slip from Force India (now Aston Martin). In a video by F1 YouTuber Tommo, the Frenchman’s clip from the High-Performance podcast shows his narration of his situation back then.

Ocon said, “I am not gonna say the whole story there, but we had two contracts and two options”. The #31 driver also mentioned how he could have signed for one of these two teams.

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However, he did believe that the other option would be better. It eventually “didn’t work out” with the other team and Ocon had to stay on the sidelines as a Mercedes reserve driver.

After that in 2020, the 27-year-old signed up for Renault (now Alpine). This gave Ocon the much-needed stability, as he signed a long-term deal with the French team till the end of 2024, in mid-2021. Ocon was betting on the long-term prospects of the French team.

However, it hasn’t worked out as he may have hoped for. Even Tommo speculated on what Ocon’s career could have been, had he not signed a long-term deal with Alpine. Of course, the Frenchman may or may not have won a Grand Prix with another team, but he could have potentially gotten into a better competitive side than right now.

What If Esteban Ocon didn’t sit out in 2019?

Tommo speculated on which were the two teams that could have offered Esteban Ocon a seat after his sacking from Force India. He cited that it could have been Alfa Romeo-Sauber and Williams. Tommo mentioned that Antonio Gionvinazzi and Robert Kubica’s seats respectively at these two teams could have been Ocon’s.

Both these contracts had sponsorship and partnership-related reasons to keep the French driver away. Kubica brought Polish sponsors – Orlen’s backing for Williams. Meanwhile, Giovinazzi was a Ferrari test and reserve driver. Sauber’s close relationship with the Prancing Horse paved the way for the Italian.

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Now, if Ocon had gotten into one of these teams, he could have avoided the desperate move to Renault. For better or for worse, the Frenchman’s career trajectory could have changed massively.

At Williams, there was a chance of getting to a Mercedes seat, just like George Russell did. That was perhaps a gamble worth taking, as we saw in Russell’s case.

More importantly, Alpine gave Ocon short-term glory with some podiums and a Grand Prix win. But, in the long term, their vision has not been clear.

So, Ocon could have avoided getting stuck in this chaos at Enstone, in hindsight. The lack of vision is now coming to light with their struggles worsening relative to 2023. So much so, that the #31 driver is now looking for options elsewhere.

Either way, his contract will expire at the end of 2024. Thus, if Alpine can’t show signs of good progress, the Frenchman will have to take a tough call on his future.

“The tide is turning on mental health,” William said in a conversation with soccer players

David Beckham says that if social media had been around when he faced “brutal” criticism from fans after he received a red card and was sent off in the infamous game between England and Argentina during the 1998 World Cup, he would have found the vilification even harder.

Beckham took part in a recent conversation with Prince William in the royal’s mission to make mental health a priority across soccer. The prince, 38, believes the sport can play a positive role in promoting mental well-being.

During the video call with William and other players, the former soccer star said, “I made a mistake in ‘98 and the reaction at the time was pretty brutal…If social media was around when I was going through that time, it would have been a whole different story.”

Prince William and David Beckham. ADAM VALLANCE/KENSINGTON PALACE VIA GETTY; GETTY IMAGES/GETTY

“But I was lucky, I had a support system within Manchester United, the manager and obviously family. But did I feel it was okay at the time to go to someone and say I need help? No, because it was a different era, and I just felt that I had to keep it all in and deal with it myself. Whereas now, I’m the one preaching to my kids and to other kids that I talk to out there that it’s really important to talk.”

KENSINGTON PALACE

“We all know now that it’s okay not to be okay, and it’s ok to say that. It’s okay to come out and say I need help,” Beckham added.

William recently launched the landmark Mentally Healthy Football Declaration signed by leaders of the entire U.K. soccer family. The declaration is the culmination of the Heads Up campaign that has been running throughout the season, which has been disrupted and extended by the coronavirus pandemic.

Thanking the senior players and officials who took part in a call last week, William said, “I really hope that you guys feel that the tide is turning on mental health and we are making progress.”

During the chat, England and Manchester City player Steph Houghton added, “As a leader, you try and be this person that’s always strong and always really positive, but the reality is sometimes you’re going to have a bit of a bad day. I think the way that you grow as a leader and [create] the environment for people to open up is if you show that little bit of vulnerability – maybe one day you do have a bad day, you’re a bit down or you’ve maybe not played as well as you possibly can, it’s ok to show that.”

It is the latest move by William as the season reaches its conclusion. In May, the dad of three continued this work talked more about the initiative in the BBC program Football, Prince William and Our Mental Health, in which he opened up about the importance of mental health in conversations with a number of high-profile athletes about their personal struggles, both in-person and via video chat.

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William followed this up in June with a video call with the coach, players and staff of Premier League team Arsenal FC to talk about Heads Up — while cheekily asking French international goalscorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang if he would leave the club and play for the Aston Villa team William and son Prince George,7, passionately support.

Next weekend, on August 1, the English soccer season comes to an end with the FA Cup Final which has been renamed the Heads Up FA Cup Final.

Out on the field, William is celebrating that his favorite team Aston Villa managed to stay in the Premier League. He tweeted on his official account late Sunday, jokingly saying that he always had faith that they would survive.

“Never in doubt,” he quipped, signing off with a hashtag of UpTheVilla.

Credits: IMAGO / HochZwei

Esteban Ocon is hardly a competition for Max Verstappen off late, but during the junior days, things were exactly the opposite. For Max Verstappen and his father, Ocon was a name synonymous with menace. This is despite the fact that the Verstappens were a force to reckon with, even during old times.

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Jos Verstappen had an intimidating presence during Ocon and Verstappen Jr’s young days. The Dutchman had his F1 connection through and through and he was all up to take his son, the young Max to his level and beyond.

Speaking about this, Ocon shared in an interview with the High-Performance Podcast, as shown in F1 YouTuber Tommo’s video, “In Go-Kart, it was those years you know when we were with my dad against him [Max Verstappen] and his dad. Everybody was a little bit scared, you know of Jos and Max at the time because Jos was driving in Formula 1.”

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However, Ocon was fearless, as always. The primary reason for the going all-out attitude was because of the contrasting situation of the Frenchman’s family. The Alpine driver comes from a modest family and they have done everything to support young Esteban’s racing career. Therefore, he did not have much option but to race for wins.

The Frenchman was in case of a desperation as things were ‘all or nothing’ for him. This made him a ‘bad boy’ to his teammates as Ocon had everything on the line and wins were a must. Interestingly, this was something Max Verstappen also had due to his father’s absolute pressure. Therefore, the visible aggressiveness in their driving style perfectly reflected that.

Esteban Ocon had a hard time growing up

Unlike most of the F1 drivers these days, Esteban Ocon comes from a humble background. The 27-year-old had a different level of growing up, something many current F1 drivers did not have in their young days.

“I never went to skiing on holidays for example. I never went to birthday party of other kids. We are rarely going on holidays or weekends you know with my parents. It was all about going onto the racetrack, and training. I had a lot of weight on my shoulders very young. With the amount of sacrifice my parents put, I had no right to fail,” stated the former Force India driver.

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Ocon also added how his national championship days were full of hardships. While his competitors had the luxury of being on big teams or factory teams, he had none. He had to do everything on his own and use old engines and chassis.

Furthermore, the #31 driver had to opt for used tires from other kids. Despite all of these, he made sure he defeated Max Verstappen in European Formula 3 when they were neck and neck in the competition. Ocon won the championship, while Verstappen had to settle for P3 in the standings.

All in all, Esteban Ocon has made quite a name for himself. He makes $6 million a year at his current contract at Alpine but is struggling to compete with the A524, due to the team’s struggles. Nonetheless, Ocon’s hard work has paid off as he is now racing in Formula 1 and made his parents proud, something very few drivers such as Lewis Hamilton have done.

JOHN FURY has not lacked ambition when calling out huge names in the boxing world to fight.

The boxing veteran is most well known for fathering and coaching superstar sons Tyson and Tommy.

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John Fury has never been shy to call out big boxing namesCredit: PA
But he also had a 8-4-1 professional boxing record and claimed to have been a fierce bare-knuckle fighter on the hard road.

His passion for his boys has led John to row with famous faces from the boxing world and resulted in wild fight call outs.

As of yet, John is yet to actually follow up on any of these challenges but here SunSport runs down the best of the bunch.

Mike Tyson

John is admittedly an Iron Mike superfan and even named champion son Tyson after the heavyweight legend.

But it has not stopped John from wanting to fight his hero and recently laid out a challenge when Mike Tyson coached Francis Ngannou for his bout against the Gypsy King.

John said: “Here I am! Any man alive want to fight John Fury I’m here and ready to go, Mike Tyson what have you got to say to that my brother?”

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John Fury wants to fight his heavyweight hero Mike TysonCredit: @boxingarabia

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Jake Paul

For two years YouTuber-turned boxer Paul terrorised John’s son Tommy about a fight and his reasons for twice pulling out.

So John lost it when the two came face to face in Dubai and roared: “Come in here! Forget my son! I’m the king of the bare knuckle man!”

Eventually, Tommy would go onto beat Paul via split-decision in February 2023 with the pair back in talks for a rematch.

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Watch John Fury rip off top and challenge Jake Paul in amazing ringside footage before being branded ‘Shrek’

Lennox Lewis/Evander Holyfield

John did not just draw the line with Tyson, he also opened the door to fighting his iconic rivals of the 1990s.

He said in 2020: “Now I’m fit, let’s talk about some proper fighting men that have had fighting experience.

“Lets go: Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson all of those men in their 50s, my age, let’s have a go.”

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Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield pictured togetherCredit: Getty

Eddie Hearn

Hearn has had a frosty relationship with the Fury family amid the long-standing rivalry with his star fighter Anthony Joshua.

John has lost his cool over the brash promoter several times and at one point called to face Hearn on Joshua’s undercard.

He told The Mirror in 2022: “I’ll fight Eddie Hearn on the undercard too for the AJ fight. I’ll do that for free! If they sign the contract, I’ll box Eddie Hearn on the undercard for free!”

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John Fury has feuded with Eddie Hearn amid the rivalry between Anthony Joshua and TysonCredit: Getty

David Haye

Haye famously pulled out of fighting Fury twice due to injury and the bad blood between the two has carried on even after his retirement.

The British legend had a brief comeback in 2021 for an exhibition and called out Fury afterwards – but John wanted to take the bout instead.

He told BT Sport: “I will fight David Haye, and tell him from me – I will fight him seven days a week and three times on a Sunday. You tell him.”

Carl Froch

Froch has been outspoken since his 2014 retirement and recently questioned Fury’s boxing career.

It sparked a furious reaction from John, who said:  “You and me, Wembley Stadium, 93,000 crowd. I’m up for that my friend.”

Froch hit back to instead suggest they settle the score in the name of charity.

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Carl Froch was called out by John FuryCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

Joe Egan

Egan is a former sparring partner of Mike Tyson’s and took acceptation to John’s challenge and suggested they fight instead.

John finally responded in a lengthy Instagram message and demanded a full fight offer be sent over in writing.

He warned in his rant: “Now it’s personal, Joe.”

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Mike Tyson with former sparring partner Joe EganCredit: Joe Egan

Micky Theo

After John claimed to be the fittest man at his age alive, he was called out by former bodybuilder Theo.

And despite Theo’s best efforts to organise a fight, John refused to entertain it as an event but did claim he’d be up for a straightener.

He said: “I’ve seen people like you all my life. I’m in shape, I’m ready to fight, cut the s***e, let’s just fight.”

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Former bodybuilder Micky Theo called out John Fury

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.

YouTube and social-media star turned boxer Jake Paul revealed how grateful he is about stepping into the ring to fight Mike Tyson, while his friend and fellow streamer Adin Ross, said he will bet $250,000 on Paul to defeat Tyson.

The 27-year-old Paul and 57-year-old Tyson will fight on July 20 at AT&T Stadium, with the bout streaming live exclusively on Netflix.

Tyson has not fought in a non-exhibition bout since June 2005 and has not won a fight since February 2003. Paul has a 9-1 record as a boxer, with most of his wins coming against athletes that are not primarily boxers.

Paul has transitioned from celebrity fights against the likes of Nate Robinson and Anderson Silva, to trained boxers recently. His only loss is to a trained boxer in Tommy Fury.

Paul will enter the bought against Tyson on a three-fight win streak, including his last two wins coming over lower-ranked professional boxers.

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Tyson is considered one of the greatest boxers of all-time, but his now 57 years old

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Paul is only 27 but is largely untested in the world of boxing, having fought mostly celebrities

‘I cant believe it. It’s like surreal to me,’ Paul said. ‘… I’m still trying to process and comprehend it.’

‘When we faced off for the first time, afterwards, I started laughing,’ Paul added. ‘I stepped away and was like “Bro, what the f*** is going on?”‘

Tyson is considered one of the greatest boxers of all-time. Of his 50 career wins, 44 came via knockout.

In November 2020, Tyson fought Roy Jones Jr. in an 8-round exhibition that ended in a draw.

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Paul’s friend, Adin Ross, said he would bet $250,000 on Paul beating Tyson in July

Jake Paul was born two months after Tyson’s first loss to Evander Holyfield, dropping ‘Iron Mike’ to 45-2 at the time.

Ross has over 16million followers on Instagram, X, and TikTok combined.

Paul was 6 years old when Tyson won his last professional fight.

According to Ariel Helwani, no protective headgear will be worn during the fight, despite concerns of Tyson’s age.

Joe Joyce has opened up on his two ‘heartbreaking’ defeats by Zhilei Zhang that curtailed his hopes of a world title shot – admitting the challenge was ‘a risk too far’.

Joyce retired from their first bout in April 2023 following sustained damage to his right eye, with a doctor calling it off in round six, but in the rematch later in September the fight was ended even faster in the third round after a right hooked dropped him to the canvas – which saw him lose his WBO interim title.

They were the two first defeats of Joyce’s professional career and now ‘The Juggernaut’ is looking to bounce back against Kash Ali in Birmingham on Saturday night – desperate to rediscover his winning form after conceding he is still haunted by his painful losses.

‘It wasn’t my most memorable time,’ he told Mail Sport. ‘The first fight I felt I could’ve won that if I made a few changes. In the second fight, I did everything in my power to get the win but then I got knocked out even sooner! I tried my best and maybe I could have won but Zhang is very tough and accurate, strong – he can hit hard.

‘Styles make fights and Zhang wasn’t the best for me. It was a risk taking the fight, it was the biggest out there. It was a risk too far for me to take. It’s just something I had to do. It was just unfortunate I didn’t get the win both times. I thought I would cruise through to a victory the first time. I tried but it wasn’t to be.

Joe Joyce has opened up on his ‘heartbreaking’ back-to-back defeats to Zhilei Zhang

Joyce’s first fight with the Chinese star was waved off due to eye damage – before his rival stopped him in the third round of their rematch

Joyce lost his WBO interim title to Zhang, who went on to lose to old opponent Joseph Parker

‘It was tough and it has been tough. It’s not easy, especially when you get bigged up and then you don’t deliver. It’s heartbreaking.’

Joyce faced a chorus of voices calling on him to retire after losing out to Zhang – who has since gone on to lose to a man he stopped in 2022 – Joseph Parker.

But even though Joyce is approaching the latter end of his boxing career aged 38, he hit back at suggestions he could hang up the gloves and insisted there were still plenty of big fights he could be involved in – and is hopeful of becoming a world champion before he calls it a day.

‘There’s plenty of other fights out there that are very exciting that I can get involved with,’ he added. ‘It’s not time to hang up the gloves just yet. It’s not the end for me, there’s still more fights, more entertaining fights.

Joyce has admitted it was a ‘risk too far’ to face Zhang and that his style was wrong for him

‘The heavyweight game is strong, there’s a lot of match-ups people want to see. Hopefully after Fury v Usyk the belts will be up for grabs again and I can push on and win a world title before I retire.

‘It’s like – would you quit your job? You still need to earn money. Boxing is a good job for me and I enjoy what I do. It’s not always easy getting up for training year in year out, but it’s exciting the way you pick yourself up.

‘You get to the top of the peak, then have a rest and pick yourself up again. I’m excited now, I’ve got another big fight against Ali and then after that people want to see me against these other fighters.’

Joyce has never fought in Birmingham before and it will be a fresh chapter and a new beginning for the 2016 Olympic silver medalist. A chance to start clean with the weight off his shoulders. That’s something he relishes.

The 38-year-old is desperate to get back to winning ways when he fights Kash Ali on Saturday

Joyce hit back at claims he could retire and vowed to finish his career with a world title

‘I’m enjoying myself, It’s good to have a target again,’ he said. ‘I’m looking forward to getting back in the ring and getting a nice win. I’d like to make a statement. I’ve shared a ring with Kash Ali, he’s a good fighter, I’m not underestimating him.’

Joyce said he was tinkering with his style and making constant improvements in the wake of his two defeats, and while he mentioned being keen to join the Saudi boxing revolution and be involved in a huge card in the Middle East, he refused to name the likes of Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk as possible opponents.

‘There’s always improvements to make, that’s what I love about boxing. You’re always looking to get better. There’s so many factors in boxing. It’s not just about being really fast or really strong, it’s a combination of all the things plus technique and how the different styles mesh. It’s an exciting time because there’s these Saudi fights, so many different characters with different styles.

‘We’ll have to wait and see [on who he’ll face in the future]. I want to fight all the top names, big fights. Get a world title in there before I retire. I need to secure myself for my post boxing career. I need to support myself and my family before I hang up the gloves. This is a unique time when I can do that.’

In a recent interview, boxing legend Mike Tyson opened up about his much-talked-about match against the controversial YouTuber-turned-boxer, Jake Paul. Tyson, known for his ferocious style in the ring during his prime, offered candid insights into his experience facing the unexpected challenger.

Reflecting on the bout, Tyson expressed a mix of respect and bemusement towards Paul, acknowledging the younger fighter’s determination and skill, despite his unconventional path to the boxing world. Tyson remarked on Paul’s surprising agility and strategy, recognizing that he presented a more formidable challenge than many anticipated.

However, Tyson didn’t shy away from expressing his disappointment with the outcome, hinting at unresolved feelings about the match. He admitted feeling a sense of unfinished business, suggesting that he might seek a rematch to settle the score once and for all.

Despite the outcome, Tyson’s words underscored the evolving landscape of boxing, where unorthodox matchups and unexpected contenders continue to captivate audiences worldwide. As the sport embraces new faces and narratives, Tyson’s perspective offers valuable insights into the enduring allure of boxing in the modern era.

Former UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen believes that Mike Tyson faked having a full session in his viral training video.

Tyson, 57, is scheduled to fight 27-year-old Jake Paul at AT&T Stadium on July 20 in Netflix‘s first boxing event. On Wednesday, the boxing legend posted a ten-second compilation of his first training session in which he says, ‘It’s day one. The fun has just begun.’

Sonnen, however, was skeptical of Tyson’s preparation as he took to X (formerly Twitter) to call bluff on the boxer.

‘In the future, if you’re ever going to spend five seconds hitting mitts, as a way of making the audience believe you’re doing a training session, make sure you splash water on your face and T-shirt first,’ Sonnen wrote.

Sonnen, who famously fought Anderson Silva twice in the UFC, is known in the MMA community for being outspoken. He is also often credited for opening the door for stars like Conor McGregor to engage in verbal warfare before fights.

Chael Sonnen called bluff on Mike Tyson’s training footage ahead of his fight with Jake Paul

Tyson is scheduled to fight the 27-year-old Paul at AT&T stadium in Arlington, Texas on July 20

Paul and Tyson’s blockbuster matchup will be the first boxing event to stream on Netflix

This, however, was not the first time Sonnen’s skepticism towards Tyson was on display.

On an episode of the PBD podcast, Sonnen reiterated the age difference between Paul and Tyson. He also referenced fellow MMA great Vitor Belfort’s boxing match against Tyson’s former foe Evander Holyfield in 2021.

‘Vitor Belfort, who has never boxed, put him away so fast. So, this [Holyfield] is an Olympic gold medalist you’re watching. Vitor, who has never done it [boxing], put him away so fast that it ended Vitor’s [boxing] career,’ he said.

‘They would not book him again. They labeled him like an elderly abuser. ‘How dare you? How could you do this?’ Vitor never got another fight… He [Paul] will get teased for taking this [Tyson] fight.’

During his professional career, Tyson held a 50-6 record with 44 knockouts before retiring in 2005. He returned to action in 2000 and fought Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition.

On the other hand, Paul holds a 9-1 record with six finishes. The influencer-turned-boxer is coming off a first-round knockout over Ryan Bourland on March 2.

Credits: IMAGO HochZwei

F1 stars are making the most of the week break before action resumes in Australia. While Toto Wolff used this time to take his Mercedes AMG GT3 out for a spin at Imola (and ended up crashing it), Lewis Hamilton is out fulfilling promotional duties. The seven-time world champion is in Malaysia and is visiting a school run by Petronas. However, the trip turned out to be a surprise for the fans who did not expect to see him there.

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The LH army from Kuala Lumpur took to the internet to post pictures and videos as they spotted Hamilton in their city. Needless to say, the entire social media has gone into a chaotic frenzy ever since.

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Petronas is one of the long-term partners of the Mercedes F1 team. Being the title sponsor, the oil giant’s name features on the team’s full title, the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team. Moreover, Petronas is also the racing fuel provider to the team. Therefore, it plays a vital role not just in keeping the team financially afloat but also in active racing.

Just last year, Lewis Hamilton visited the bustling campus of Universiti Teknologi Petronas in Malaysia. He took a tour of the university’s ginormous library which is capable of housing half a million books. Hamilton also visited the laboratory where he saw different experiments being conducted over different stages of crude oil.

In the video uploaded by Petronas, the university staff briefed the Mercedes driver about their tree-plantation initiative. As a part of the initiative, they planted a tree and named it LH44. The facility plans on planting a total of 1 million trees on its vast campus by the end of 2027.

How fans reacted to seeing Lewis Hamilton in Kuala Lumpur

X (formerly Twitter) user @goatforty4 uploaded a short video of Lewis Hamilton meeting with what looks like school staff. The caption read, “Lewis Hamilton is in school in Keramat, Kuala Lumpur for an event with Petronas!”

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Another user, @FernndoAlonso14 confirmed the development with a poster of Hamilton at the school. The reply read, “Yeah, correct, he is in my town for an event at school.”

Meanwhile, another fan rued the fact that this would be Hamilton’s last visit as the Briton will join Ferrari in 2025.

Another user reminded the Malaysian fans how lucky they were to meet the F1 star.