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Anthony Joshua issues response to ‘disrespectful’ Tyson Fury after he called him and Francis Ngannou ‘two sausages’ before their heavyweight bout
Knocking Ngannou down in the first round for the first time in his career, AJ proceeded to put the former UFC champion onto the canvas another two times in the second round.
His third knockdown was enough to stop Ngannou from getting back up as Joshua claimed a fourth consecutive victory in the ring.
Fury was spotted in the crowd applauding AJ’s brutal knockout, but Joshua has refused to talk about his foe.
Speaking to IFL TV, Joshua was asked about Fury’s reaction to his knockout and simply replied: ‘F*** Tyson Fury.’
Anthony Joshua knocked Francis Ngannou down three times in his impressive victory
Speaking after the fight, Joshua sent an X-rated message to Tyson Fury
When asked to expand on the reason for his hostile reply, Joshua said: ‘You know what it is? I don’t like trash talking people but I heard him say something like “I’m here to do commentary about these two sausages”.
‘That guy that I fought (Ngannou), that he fought, is an ex-UFC heavyweight champion. A phenomonal story. Someone who changed his life around.
‘It’s too disrespectful. Forget anything about him.’
It remains to be seen as what is next for AJ, but a fight against Fury is on the cards.
The heavyweight champion faces Oleksandr Usyk next, with the winner of the bought likely to take on Joshua.
Speaking after Joshua’s victory, Fury confirmed he would be interested in an all-British bout.
‘I had a s*** performance against Ngannou. AJ did absolutely fantastic and lit him up with a right hand,’ he said on Friday night.
‘If he fights me after I beat Usyk twice then it will be a different game.’
Tyson Fury boasted that it was ‘nine weeks until Usyk gets f***ing battered’ on a training run on Saturday morning.
The Gypsy King will face Oleksandr Usyk on May 18 as the heavyweight world seeks to elect a unified champion for the first time in 24 years.
Usyk will bring the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO titles while Fury holds the WBC heavyweight crown – and there will be a new ‘undisupted’ belt up for grabs.
Fury has been chomping at the bit since the fight was postponed from its original date of February 17 after he suffered a nasty cut above his eye in training.
‘So today, it’s our nine-week anniversary until Usyk gets f***ing battered,’ Fury said in an Instagram video, trailed by fellow runners.
Tyson Fury out running today, training for the Oleksandr Usyk fight on May 18th: “Nine weeks until Usyk gets f***ing battered.”[🎥 @Tyson_Fury] pic.twitter.com/tzWpnZNDqX
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) March 16, 2024
Tyson Fury has claimed that it is ‘nine weeks until Usyk gets f***ing battered’ by him
The Gypsy King will face Usyk on May 18 in the first unified heavyweight title contest in 24 years
‘And we’re out on the front this morning, little team of us, and we’re going to jog about, I don’t know, eight, nine, ten miles.
‘Might even do a half-marathon today, who knows?
‘But the one thing I do know is it’s absolutely fantastic weather, nice and fresh, on the bay.
‘Come on!’
Fury and Usyk’s fight will be a historic moment for boxing and the crown jewel in Saudi Arabia’s growing boxing influence.
They will finally meet in the ring as part of Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia to crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has backed a new judging system for the undisputed heavyweight title clash to avoid controversial decisions which ‘will kill boxing’.
Both fighters are gearing up for what has the potential to be the biggest fight in recent times with a reported £100million purse on offer.
Usyk and Fury are unbeaten and will compete for a reported £100million purse
The fight was postponed after Fury suffered a gruesome cut above his right eye while sparring
Fury has said he wants to fight Usyk twice, leaving Anthony Joshua to try and fill the time before he will face his fellow Brit.
Usyk has a perfect record of 21 wins and no defeats with 14 knockouts.
Meanwhile, Fury 34 wins – 24 via knockouts – and one draw.
His credibility is unquestionable but the public perception of him took a slight knock with how quickly Joshua finished off Francis Ngannou.
AJ floored Ngannou down three times with a second-round knockout when they met earlier this month, while Fury hit the deck himself before only beating the former UFC champion on points last year.
Channique Sterling-Brown, who plays Dee-Dee Bailey in ITV’s Coronation Street, looks unrecognisable after losing 100lbs following years of being ‘obsessed’ with her weight
Coronation Street’s Channique Sterling-Brown has revealed the downside to her incredible weight loss journey in a heartfelt Instagram post.
The actress, who plays Dee-Dee Bailey on the ITV soap, has been candid about her glamorous lifestyle online and has recently been involved in a gripping storyline where her character fought for Roy Cropper’s release from prison for Lauren Bolton’s murder.
However, last month, it was revealed that her on-screen boyfriend Joel Deering (Callum Lill) was the real culprit behind Lauren’s death. Off-screen, the star has been focusing on her fitness, having recently completed the Manchester 10k marathon alongside her co-stars.
In her recent Instagram post, the 27-year-old actress proudly displayed her golden medal and opened up about her significant weight loss journey over the years. She admitted to losing 100lbs after years of being “obsessed” with her weight and trying various “diets, shakes and tablets”.
She also revealed that she took a break from social media to focus on her mental health and that the downside to her weight loss was “uncomfortable comments”.
The star has been candid about her glamorous lifestyle online (
Image:
Getty Images)
In her recent Instagram post, the 27-year-old actress proudly displayed her golden medal (
Image:
Instagram)
The TV personality went on to share a dramatic before and after photo with her 16,000 online followers. She described her spiral of self-loathing, she expressed: “Couple of years ago it got really bad, I was losing control. Hating yourself is a s**t way to live. I came off socials for over a month and when I came back, I unfollowed all the pages full of beautiful, unrealistic bodies,” reports the Daily Star.
She admitted how seeing these images would send her downwards, stating: “Consuming those images daily used to send me spiralling. Comparison’s a killer. Instead, I follow women who represented me more, in terms of shape, skills and skin colour.”
Instead, she chose to follow women who more accurately mirrored her own skin colour, shape, and abilities. It was this pivot in mindset that led to her success, as she started prioritising her health and fitness. The TV star confessed: “I stopped seeing the gym as punishment for being fat and started focusing on fitness. For the first time ever I started enjoying working out, my high school PE teacher would be shook.”
Her realisation of her weight loss came subtly. “I didn’t notice my weight loss until my clothes were a bit big. So then there’s this excitement of feeling fitter, new wardrobe (cos a b**ch loves to shop).”
However, as the weight began to drop, she was taken aback by the amount of praise she received from loved ones about her figure and not her accomplishments. “But then came the compliments,” she explained, adding: “Which weirdly made me so uncomfortable. Awkwardly smiling, when people gushed over me being thinner, not my 1st class degree.”
“Then bare anxiety, ‘If I put on weight is everyone gonna notice? ‘ It was like confirmation that all my toxic thoughts had been in the back of everyone else’s head all along.”
“When people compliment weight loss I know they mean no harm, but when it becomes the main focus of your achievements, it’s disheartening. Now I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t proud of myself, but that’s linked to being two years veggie, being healthier and my head being a happier place to be.”
“Not always of course, I still have my moments, things I’d change. But I’ve learnt to keep it moving, don’t let those negative thoughts fester or they will take control.”
The actor shared her newfound belief about modern beauty standards and explained how she has grown from this experience. Channique explained: “Changing how I see myself and unlearning the toxic beauty standards society feeds us, is the real glow up. I now realise the gal on the left is just as much of a bad b**ch as the gal on the right.”
“Let’s build each other up for more than just our dress size/ I always want to be known for my love, laughter and loudness, not the body they live in.”
Tyson Fury may face the prospect of having to fight to defend the WBC title, but is the opponent Anthony Joshua and is that the “English civil war” of his dreams?
According to plan, Tyson Fury will fight a classic title unification match with Oleksandr Usyk on May 18 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after the February 17 match was postponed due to Fury tearing his eyelid. Fury currently holds the WBC belt, while Usyk holds the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO belts.
It is almost certain that the Fury – Usyk match will have a “part 2” this year, because the contract between the two punches has a clause allowing the loser to trigger a rematch immediately afterward.
The head of the prestigious boxing organization WBC, Mauricio Sulaiman, announced that the agency “accepts the Fury – Usyk rematch”. Sulaiman said, WBC will wait for Fury – Usyk to fight both matches (if any) and then arrange the WBC title defense match for the new absolute champion of world heavyweight boxing. And the head of the WBC did not hide his desire to see it be a fight between Tyson Fury – Anthony Joshua.
“WBC accepts their (Fury – Usyk) request for a rematch. If there are no problems with contracts, or negotiations with promotional companies (promotions, boxer representatives), we will complete it.” Fully agree to let the winner of the Fury match – Usyk fight Anthony Joshua,” Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed.
Tyson Fury was present in Saudi Arabia to witness Anthony Joshua knock out Francis Ngannou last Saturday
As for Anthony Joshua, the former world champion has expressed his intention more than once to “fight to the end” with “his arch-compatriot” Tyson Fury. A week ago, Joshua knocked out Francis Ngannou after just 2 rounds. That was Joshua’s fourth consecutive victory and now this 34-year-old boxer is even more eager to regain the prestigious belts as well as the world No. 1 position he achieved twice in the past.
But in addition to Joshua, in case Tyson Fury retains the WBC title after his match with Usyk, this 35-year-old puncher is also likely to have to defend the title against another formidable opponent.
It is known that the puncher currently ranked 2nd in the WBC heavyweight rankings right behind Fury, Frank Sanchez, has been assigned to fight Agit Kabayel (ranked 4th). This will be a match where the winner will become the designated challenger for the title against the boxer holding the WBC title.
Frank Sanchez is ranked 2nd in the WBC heavyweight rankings and has animpressive undefeated record
Frank Sanchez, 31 years old, holds the WBC Americas title with an impressive record of 24 wins, including 17 wins by knockout. The last time Frank Sanchez entered the ring was at the “Day of Reckoning” event on Christmas 2023, when Joshua also fought Otto Wallin. In that match, Sanchez technically knocked out Junior Fa in round 7.
Agit Kabayel is also in very good form with a series of 24 unbeaten matches, of which he won 16 matches by knockout. The 31-year-old German boxer also fought at the “Day of Reckoning” event nearly 3 months ago and won by technical knockout over Makhmudov in the 4th round, thereby winning the WBC North American title and the WBA Intercontinental title.
Tyson Fury‘s body transformation ahead of his undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk has left fans in disbelief.
The Gypsy King looks as ripped as ever with just under two months until his bout with the Ukrainian.
The heavyweight world will seek to elect a unified champion for the first time in 24 years on May 18, with a reported £100million purse up for grabs.
Boxing followers believe Fury is taking his fight with Usyk much more seriously after he scraped through his fight with Francis Ngannou, winning via split decision after being knocked down.
His long-time sparring partner Martin Bakole claimed that Fury didn’t prepare properly for his fight with Ngannou, telling IFL TV: ‘Tyson was not 100 per cent focused in the gym.’
Tyson Fury’s incredible body transformation ahead of the Oleksandr Usyk fight has been revealed
His physique is radically different to when he fought Francis Ngannou back in October
Usyk himself suggested that Fury didn’t take the fight seriously, asking: ‘Was he playing around trying to fool me?’
However, Fury appears to have stepped up the intensity of his training and posted a video at the weekend promising that he would ‘f***ing batter’ his undefeated opponent.
In an exclusive chat with Mail Sport last year, Fury said: ‘I would love to have a good body. But, I don’t have any hope of having a good body.
‘I am fat now, I was fat as a baby and I will be fat on my death bed. We’re all fat. Hughie is fat, Shane’s fat, my dad’s fat and even my mum’s fat. I hope she’s not watching this. But, we’re a fat family.’
The Brit doesn’t appear to have even a spare ounce on his muscular physique and fans have been left amazed by his transformation.
‘Tyson looks hungrier than ever to prove himself after that Ngannou fight. We’re about to see another historic Fury performance,’ one wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
‘Never seen Tyson that cut,’ said another.
‘That doesn’t even look like the same person,’ one said, adding a shocked face emoji for emphasis.
Even this update from early February shows Fury’s body looking far more toned than it had previously
Fury started his dedicated training camp for the Usyk fight earlier this week
Many think Fury didn’t prepare for the Ngannou fight properly, especially after his long-time sparring partner Martin Bakole said so
Fans have been raving about Fury’s attitude and new physique ahead of the Saudi Arabian bout
‘Tyson Fury over here looking like The Rock,’ another commented.
‘It’s obvious he didn’t take Ngannou seriously,’ one said after seeing his transfromation.
‘Ngannou actually knocked sense into him,’ another wrote.
The clash between Usyk and Fury promises to be one of the biggest in memory.
Usyk will bring the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO titles while Fury holds the WBC heavyweight crown – and there will be a new ‘undisupted’ belt up for grabs.
They will meet in the ring as part of Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia to crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era.
Fury has been chomping at the bit since the fight was postponed from its original date of February 17 after he suffered a nasty cut above his eye in training.
He has 34 wins – 24 via knockouts – and one draw on his ledger.
Meanwhile, Usyk has a perfect record of 21 wins and no defeats with 14 knockouts
So, what next for Anthony Joshua?
That’s the question on everybody’s lips – and firmly in his mind – after his ferocious second-round knockout of Francis Ngannou on Saturday morning in Riyadh.
Three knockdowns in a matter of minutes revealed a relentless, untamed fighter, but he was in no mood for celebrating this demolition job.
‘I’m not even buzzing about the win. On to the next, go,’ he said in the wake of his victory.
In an ideal world, that ‘next’ would entail a bout with the winner of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, who bash gloves on May 18.
But the world isn’t ideal. Fury and Usyk are bound for a rematch, meaning Joshua will have to fill the gap.
Mail Sport takes a look at his options.
Who could Anthony Joshua’s next opponent be after his stunning win over Francis Ngannou?
Joshua obliterated Ngannou on Saturday morning in Riyadh, knocking him down three times. The third time, in the second round, was the last
His next fight won’t be against Tyson Fury, because he will fight Oleksandr Usyk and then have a rematch with him
Deontay Wilder
Wilder is a name that Joshua has long been linked with but a bout has never materialised. Yet.
Instead of Ngannou, AJ was supposed to be fighting the Bronze Bomber as his March assignment.
But Wilder’s shock defeat to Joseph Parker on the ‘Day of Reckoning’ in December stopped that idea in its tracks, at least temporarily.
The likelihood of AJ and Wilder meeting next looks slim, but not impossible. Had AJ lost to Ngannou, it would have looked more likely.
Ultimately, Joshua wants to be the undisupted heavyweight champion of the world, and a 38-year-old Wilder – who is himself some distance from holding a title – probably isn’t the quickest route there.
A bout with Deontay Wilder would appeal to British fans and has been long desired, but is he the right opponent for AJ’s goal of being an undisputed champion?
Dillian Whyte
Joshua was supposed to face Whyte last August at the O2 Arena in London.
However, the punch-fest was cancelled when Whyte returned an ‘adverse finding’ to a random doping test.
At short notice, Robert Helenius stepped up and was duly beaten by AJ. Joshua has since won two more fights, while Whyte, 35, hasn’t fought since November 2022.
Whyte has reportedly been cleared to return to the ring after a contaminated supplement was found to have been the cause of his positive drugs test, and he will be eager to prove a point.
With a record of 29-3, the Body Snatcher is a fearsome and worthy opponent but whether it would happen is unclear. The two previously fought in 2015, with Joshua winning.
Dillian Whyte would be a worthy, high-profile opponent but hasn’t fought since November 2022
Filip Hrgovic
Hrgovic is a serious contender, with 17 wins – 14 by knockout – and no defeats in his career to date.
After Joshua beat Otto Wallin in December, Eddie Hearn suggested that Joshua will likely take on Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF heavyweight world title next.
Vacant, you say? Well, that’s not set in stone, but it is a likelihood.
Usyk currently holds the IBF title, as well as the WBO and IBO belts. Fury is the WBC champion.
After their contest in May and their pencilled-in rematch, if Usyk ultimately wins, he will likely retire and vacate the belt. If Fury wins, he will likely vacate the belt so that he isn’t forced to fight its mandatory challenger – Hrgovic – and so he can seek a more lucrative fight elsewhere.
The likelihood is that Hrgovic will have to scrap with somebody for the vacant IBF title, and that somebody could well be Joshua.
Filip Hrgovic looks among the more likely options. Joshua will likely have to beat him at some point to claim the IBF title if Usyk or Fury desert it after their fight in May
Joseph Parker
Parker did so well to recover from two knockdowns to beat Zhilei Zhang on Friday night, beating Big Bang by majority decision.
That makes the New Zealand puncher the interim WBO heavyweight champion – and therefore the mandatory challenger for the winner of Fury and Usyk.
Obviously, if they vacate the belt, that could bring him into contention with Joshua for it instead.
It has been dubbed a ‘high risk’ fight for Joshua – by Parker’s promoter, no less – and he may well steer clear of the 32-year-old, who is on a five-fight winning streak.
Would Parker be up for it? Absolutely. ‘I’ll 100 percent fight Tyson Fury,’ he said after his dominant points win over Wilder in December.
Joseph Parker has bolstered his reputation after wins over Wilder and Zhilei Zhang
The outsiders
Joe Joyce
Joe Joyce, 38, is probably only on this list because he is British. The Juggernaut has not been doing what juggernauts do recently, taking two defeats to Zhang in 2023.
That gives him a record of 15-2, and realistically he probably isn’t in the position to propel Joshua onto greater things. Beating Joyce would not be a statement in the same way it would be of Wilder, even if he has declined.
Two defeats to Zhilei Zhang in 2023 have seen Joyce’s status drop but British fans might like the idea of him fighting AJ
Daniel Dubois is on the up at the age of 26 and beat Jarrell Miller in December last year
Daniel Dubois
Dubois was considered good enough to fight Usyk as of last August, though he lost. He has since beaten Jarrell Miller with a dramatic late stoppage in December.
Frank Warren previously suggested that AJ vs Dubois would be more appealing to British fans than a clash with Wilder. At 26, Dubois’ trajectory is on the up and it would be a stern test of his credentials.
Within weeks of decimating Francis Ngannou, Anthony Joshua has hinted at a bout announcement.
Earlier this month, the Watford fighter easily defeated the former UFC heavyweight champion, knocking him out cold in the second round of their match in Saudi Arabia.
Anthony Joshua brutally knocked out Francis Ngannou earlier this month.
Boxing fans are eagerly awaiting Anthony Joshua’s next move.
On Instagram, AJ hinted to an upcoming bout announcement.
The 34-year-old AJ is now in a great position to challenge the victor of May’s historic undisputed heavyweight title match between Alexander Usyk and Tyson Fury.
However, the gold medallist from London 2012 has made hints that he would return to the ring soon.
On Friday night, AJ posted a photo of himself on the phone to his Instagram story with a caption suggesting he may have received a “call” about his next fight.
It read: “Incoming call from @258management. AJ: ‘How can I help?’ @258mgt: ‘They want you to fight.’
“AJ: ‘I will get ready.’”
Joshua’s cryptic post spread like wildfire on social media, with some boxing fans fearing it meant bad news for the previously postponed Fury vs Usyk.
One asked on X: “Fury or Usyk is dropping out of the fight?”
Another said: “Which ones pulled out? Fury or Usyk? I’ll go the latter this time?”
AJ’s cryptic post sparked fears for Tyson Fury’s undisputed straightener with Oleksandr Usyk.
And another said: “Fury out again? Usyk AJ 3?”
Most fight fans, however, were convinced AJ is teasing a rematch with the resurgent Joseph Parker, who has won his last five on the bounce.
One said: “It means he’s fighting Joseph Parker in July.”
Another said: “Means Parker 2 man I’ve tried to deny it but that’s probably what’s happening.”
And another said: “Joe Parker if [Deontay] Wilders taking on [Zhilei] Zhang.”
Former two-time heavyweight king AJ faces a long wait to face the winner of Fury vs Usyk as the pair have a rematch clause in their lucrative contract.
He could find himself fighting for the IBF heavyweight title later this year as the sanctioning body is set to strip the winner of Fury vs Usyk of the belt.
That stripping will take place in order for their long-time mandatory challenger – Filip Hrgovic – to vie for the strap.
Stacey Solomon returned to the ITV Loose Women panel on Monday and clashed with Denise Welch over a number of topics (
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