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‘We never know’ – Tyson Fury’s manager refuses to rule out comeback as Anthony Joshua nears new ‘amazing’ fight deal

TYSON FURY’S manager has refused to rule out a comeback with Anthony Joshua nearing a bumper new fight deal.

Fury announced his shock retirement in January – a month after losing to Oleksandr Usyk for the second time in 2024.

It has dashed any chance of a huge Battle of Britain bout against AJ – who was knocked out by Daniel Dubois in September.

Joshua has since had elbow surgery amid talks with Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh over a new multiple fight deal.

And Spencer Brown – Fury’s manager and associate of Alalshikh told Boxing News: “First of all, I think they’ve got to sign the deal first.

“That’s the most important part. What they’re very good at, the Saudi Arabians, is a course. A road, and they want to know what road it is.

“And if they can get the road in the right place, then they’ll sign whatever deal you want as long as you’re happy and they’re happy with it. But they think forward

“So, it’s a great move for Anthony Joshua, isn’t it? A three-fight deal. Amazing. Amazing. Tyson’s retired. Like I say, we never know though, do we?

“But he’s very busy at the moment. He’s actually in the best place I’ve ever seen him. He’s 12lbs above his fighting weight as well.

“He looks really well. He’s happy. He’s got his kids with him constantly. Will he fight again? He’s the Gypsy King, who knows?”

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Joshua, 35, snubbed the chance to rematch Dubois, 27, after his brutal KO loss at Wembley.

And now Dubois rematches Usyk, 38, on July 19 two years after his stoppage loss to the Ukrainian.

AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn is still holding out that Fury will return to fight Joshua.

But the Gypsy King warned in May: “I hear a lot of talk about the Gypsy King returning to boxing and I ask this question: for what?

“What would I return for? More belts? I’ve won 22 of them. I’ve been rumped, that’s it, fair play to them, they got their use out of me.

“But I’m happy, I am happy, content with what I have achieved and accomplished. I’ve been around the world and back again.

“And this is what retirement looks like for the Gypsy King, not too shabby.”

Fabio Wardley is hoping victory over Justis Huni can prove to be a springboard to an eventual world title shot at Oleksandr Usyk.

Wardley and Huni clash on Saturday night at Portman Road, the home of Ipswich Town, and both men are seen as having bright futures in the heavyweight division .

Neither man has tasted defeat yet, but only one can push on towards bigger fights with heavyweight titles very much the focus for the victor.

Last year, Wardley provided a reminder of his incredible power as he blasted Frazer Clarke in the opening session to close the door on their terrific rivalry that also saw them draw in the first half of 2024.

Whoever comes out on top on Saturday night in East Anglia will immediately tum their focus to July 19 at Wembley Stadium.

There, Usyk and Daniel Dubois will collide for the undisputed heavyweight title, and Wardley has given his thoughts on when he will be ready for a fight of that size.

“Is this the fight to get me over the line? Probably not. There’s more stepping stones to be done,” said Wardley when speaking to Sky Sports .

“Ultimately it is 100 percent a step in the right direction and a step into that contention. If he’s [Usyk] saying he’s got two fights left, do I think I would be his next fight? No.

“Early next year is when I’ll be in a prime spot to push on for one of them actual full-on world titles, whether he’s still around at that point or not is only a question for him really.

“But if he is, I’ll 100 percent be pushing my mandatory [shot] and trying to get that done.”

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Larry Holmes Didn’t Hesitate When Asked If Anthony Joshua Would Survive In His Era

Larry Holmes is a legendary heavyweight world champion from a golden era who has been sharing his thoughts on Anthony Joshua.

‘The Easton Assassin’ started out his career as the sparring partner for Muhammad Ali. The Americans shared hundreds of rounds in the latter stages of Ali’s career before Holmes eventually started making his own impression on the division.

By 1980, he had become the Ring Magazine and lineal champion, titles which he held for a number of years, while he also won the first ever IBF title and held it for two years from 1983.

His jab is one of the most celebrated in all of boxing, a ram rod weapon which could often win him fights on its own. He was victorious in his first 48 fights with victories over the likes of Tim Witherspoon, Gerry Cooney, Leon Spinks, Trevor Burbick and Ali himself. His first loss came in 1985 against Michael Spinks, and he also lost to Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield before retiring in 2002.

He was asked by GQ if he thought former two-time world champion Joshua is good enough to have survived in his era against the likes of Ali, Joe Frazier and George Foreman.

“Yeah, I do. Do you know why? Because he’s 6ft 6ins, 240lbs, and he’s a big tough guy. He just needs to get that jab of his right. When I did my jab, it was fast – whap! Whap! Whap! They don’t teach fighters that these days. If Joshua gets that right, he could be great. And if an old man like me can still do it, why can’t he?”

Joshua’s last outing was a destructive KO loss to IBF champion Daniel Dubois. He is currently out recovering from an elbow injury and many hope Tyson Fury will come out of retirement so the pair can have one legacy defining showdown before both walk away from the sport for good.

‘Back to the grind in a few days’ – Anthony Joshua shows off results of elbow surgery as boxing star closes in on return

ANTHONY JOSHUA has shown off the results of his elbow surgery as he plots his return to the ring.

AJ went under the knife two weeks ago to fix the arm injury that has kept him out of action.

And Joshua has given a small glimpse into his recovery as he shadowboxed on social media.

Posting to his Snapchat account, he posted: “2 weeks post operation. Back to the grind in a few days.”

Joshua, 35, was knocked out by Daniel Dubois, 27, at Wembley and looked to be targeting an immediate rematch.

But that failed to materialise with Dubois now rematching Oleksandr Usyk on July 19 in London – two years after losing to the Ukrainian.

Tyson Fury, 36, was last year beaten by Usyk, 36, twice and subsequently announced his retirement in January a month after losing the rematch.

But AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn is hoping the unpredictable Gypsy King will make a U-turn and return to fight Joshua.

Talks are ongoing with Saudi boxing boss Turki Alalshikh over a new two-fight deal.

And Hearn told BoxingScene in late May: “He’s had the operation, which went very well, and now he’s just sort of rehabbing it.

“I believe about six weeks till he can punch again properly, and that kind of lends itself to a September, October, November fight.

“That gives us a chance to see what happens with Dubois against Usyk.

“That gives us a chance to see if Mr. Fury will ever return, and maybe something else.

“But he’s definitely fighting this year and looking forward to it.”

Former two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua is closing in on a two-fight comeback deal, with talks ongoing for a potential return later this year.

Joshua, 35, has been sidelined since suffering a knockout defeat to Dubois at Wembley last September. A subsequent elbow injury forced him into surgery in May, delaying his return to the ring.

Anthony Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed that discussions are underway with Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh over a deal tied to the Riyadh Season series of major boxing events.

“We are actually discussing a two-fight deal with Riyadh Season,” Hearn told BoxingScene. “We want to box sometime this year, October, November, and December.”

While fans had hoped for blockbuster showdowns with either Dubois or Fury, those matchups appear off the table for now.

Dubois is set to face Oleksandr Usyk in a rematch on July 19 at Wembley, while Fury announced a shock retirement in January after back-to-back losses to Usyk in 2024.

Hearn hinted that future matchups remain a possibility:

“We’ll see what happens with Dubois-Usyk; we’ll see what happens with Fury. If we don’t fight those guys, we’ll fight, and maybe follow one of those guys next year.”

Two names emerging as potential opponents for Joshua’s return are Dillian Whyte and rising American Jared Anderson.

Joshua previously defeated Whyte via knockout in 2015. A rematch was scheduled for August 2023, but Whyte was pulled after testing positive in a pre-fight drug test, later blamed on a tainted supplement.

He has since returned to action with wins in Ireland and Gibraltar and is due back in the ring this weekend on Fabio Wardley’s undercard in Ipswich, though his opponent remains unknown.

Oleksandr Usyk-Anthony Joshua 2 results, highlights: Usyk outpoints AJ to extend championship reign

Anthony Joshua seemed to sense he needed to do something dramatic when the ninth round of his bout for the unified heavyweight titles with Oleksandr Usyk began in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

And Joshua came out and was blistering Usyk, ripping him with body shots that were savage with their intent. He blasted Usyk with straight right hands and a left hook that had dropped so many opponents before him.

When the 10th round began, Usyk fired off a four-punch combination to start it and was every bit as dominant in the 10th as Joshua had been been in the ninth.

The difference was that Usyk continued that dominance over the 11th and 12th, as well. And when the scorecards were read, Usyk had won a split decision to win the heavily hyped rematch and retain his IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight belts.

Judge Glenn Feldman inexplicably scored the bout 115-113 for Joshua. But judge Victor Fesechko had it 116-112 and Steve Gray had it 115-113 for Usyk. Yahoo Sports had Usyk, 116-112.

“What a performance by Okeksandr Usyk,” Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn said. “That 10th round was one of the best I’ve seen. It turned the fight around. What he did in the 10th, 11th and 12th was incredible. That was the difference.”

Joshua lost his titles to Usyk in Tottenham, England, in September, leading to Saturday’s rematch. Joshua made a series of changes, including bringing in Robert Garcia to train him.

Joshua was unquestionably better, but Usyk was remarkable. He threw a whopping 712 punches and his head and upper body movement not only helped him slip so many shots from Joshua, but it left him in position to crack Joshua with counter punches.

Joshua raised Usyk’s arm and then wrapped the two of them together in the flag of Usyk’s country, Ukraine. Joshua grabbed the microphone and spoke directly to the crowd, then led cheers for Usyk. He would say, “Hip, hip,” and the crowd responded, “Hooray.”

Usyk’s defense was excellent, though it needed to be. Joshua rocked him several times in the fight. But Usyk managed to avoid so many shots and might well have proven himself the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world with that performance.

WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has the only belt Usyk doesn’t hold. Fury retired in the ring after beating Dillian Whyte in April. He unretired for a couple of days two weeks ago, but said he’s retired again.

Usyk said he wants Fury but that if he doesn’t get Fury, he won’t fight again.

Joshua was much better on Saturday in the rematch, but he happened to go against one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

Usyk won a split decision to retain the IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles, boxing brilliantly and surviving a strong body attack by Joshua.

“I’m sure Tyson Fury is not retired yet and I’m sure he wants to fight me,” Usyk said. “I want to fight him. But if I am not fighting Tyson Fury, I’m not fighting at all.”

Anthony Joshua lined up to fight two heavyweight rivals in new deal… but they are NOT Tyson Fury or Daniel Dubois

ANTHONY JOSHUA is in talks over a new two-fight deal – but it may not include Tyson Fury or Daniel Dubois.

AJ has been out since September when he was knocked out by Dubois at Wembley.

An arm injury has ruled him out of returning – leaving Joshua to have surgery on his elbow in May.

And promoter Eddie Hearn revealed talks with Saudi boxing boss Turki Alalshikh have taken place in the meantime.

Hearn told BoxingScene: “We are actually discussing a two-fight deal with Riyadh Season.

“We’ve been doing that, [Turki Alalshikh] said that on the night of Canelo [vs. William Scull, May 3], when we had our meeting, and that’s the plan really.

“We want to box sometime this year, October, November, December.”

Joshua, 35, snubbed a rematch with Dubois, 27, the IBF champion.

Dubois now rematches Oleksandr Usyk on July 19 at Wembley two years after losing to the Ukrainian.

Fury, 36, was twice beaten by Usyk, 38, in 2024 and announced his shock retirement in January.

It dashes hopes of a British blockbuster with AJ but Hearn said: “We’ll see what happens with Dubois-Usyk, we’ll see what happens with Fury.

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois

“And if we don’t fight those guys, we’ll fight, and then maybe we’ll follow one of those guys next year.”

Two names also on Joshua’s radar are Dillian Whyte and American Jared Anderson.

Hearn said: “Two guys that have been discussed, but nothing concrete.”

AJ knocked out Whyte in 2015 and they were due to meet in a rematch in August 2023.

That was until Whyte returned “an adverse finding” in his pre-fight drug test – having to subsequently withdraw.

He blamed the failed test on a tainted supplement and returned last year with wins in Ireland and Gibraltar.

Whyte is due to return on Saturday on Fabio Wardley’s undercard in Ipswich – but is yet to have an opponent.

Anderson, 25, meanwhile was KO’d by Martin Bakole, 31, last August but beat Marios Kollias in his February comeback.

I boxed Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois but forgotten heavyweight hit harder than them all

Kevin Johnson has shared the ring with a who’s who of heavyweight greats during his 20-year stint in professional boxing.

The American veteran started out as a contender, building up a respectable 22-0-1 record in his first six years in the paid ranks before landing a WBC title shot against Vitali Klitschko in 2009.

He lost the fight via unanimous decision, and after falling to a second defeat against Tor Hamer in the Prizefighter 25: heavyweight final, his career took an entirely different route.

In the preceding years, Johnson established himself as one of the most recognisable journeymen in boxing, sharing the ring with the likes of Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Daniel Dubois and Andy Ruiz Jr, to name a few.

He has since lost 20 out of his last 29 fights and currently holds a 36-22-2 record.

Yet his durability and defensive craft mean only three men have been able to stop him at the time of writing (Joshua, Petar Milas and Martin Bakole).

Given that he wasn’t able to withstand the punishment of the aforementioned trio, the expectation is that one of them would be considered the hardest hitter he has ever faced.

However, when the question was posed to him by Russian newspaper Sport Express, Johnson picked an opponent he actually beat.

“Alex Leapai from Australia,” he replied. “Alex Leapai is the physically strongest boxer I have ever met in my life.

“Not only in a fight – I went back to Australia later, lived there for a while, and we sparred together every day. He is powerful.”

In an interview with iFL TV a few years prior, Johnson also said of the Samoan slugger: “The worst punch I ever felt was Alex Leapai.

“And I s*** you not it was harder than Vitali’s.”

Videos of their fight, which took place in Australia in 2012, are scarce, but we do know that Johnson won the bout via ninth-round TKO.

Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois 

Following the crushing defeat, Leapai ended up fighting Wladimir Klitschko a couple of years later for the WBA, IBF and WBO world heavyweight titles.

But he proved to be no match for Klitschko as he was blown out in the fifth round.

Leapai was never the most subtle fighter, although he possessed plenty of punching power, with 26 of his 32 wins coming via knockout.

He eventually hung up his gloves in 2019 with a 32-8-4 record, following a 10th-round stoppage loss to Joseph Parker.

His son, Alex Leapai Jr, has since followed in his father’s footsteps by turning over as a professional.

The 19-year-old prospect holds a pro record of 4-0-1 with three knockout wins to his name.

He drew his last fight with debutant Tim Tusa, but is looking to get back on the winning track when he returns to the ring on July 16 in Sydney.

Prep Kitchen names Anthony Joshua as its latest brand ambassador

Anthony Joshua OBE, steps into the ring with Prep Kitchen to inspire a range of meals celebrating his Nigerian heritage.

, the leading brand of chef-cooked and healthy meals, has teamed up with two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua, who joins the brand as its newest ambassador and inspiration for a limited-edition recipe range.

This high-profile partnership marks a significant milestone for Prep Kitchen. As one of Britain’s most iconic athletes known for his discipline, drive, and dedication to peak performance, Anthony Joshua embodies the values at the heart of the brand – making nutritious, gourmet-level meals developed by Michelin-trained chefs accessible to people with ambitious health and fitness goals.

As part of the collaboration, Anthony Joshua will work closely with Prep Kitchen’s Head of Food, Paul Mason to craft an exclusive range of meals inspired by the vibrant flavours of Nigerian cuisine – a celebration of his heritage, and a bold new addition to Prep Kitchen’s weekly menu.

The meals featured in the range include West African Style Red Pepper and Peanut Chicken, Suya Beef with Jollof Rice, and a fragrant Nigerian Fish Curry. The first meal will be available for deliveries from June 22.

On the partnership, Anthony Joshua, said: “Being able to achieve excellence relies so heavily upon the foods we fuel our body with. Yet, it can be difficult to maintain a level of discipline when immersed in an intense training schedule. That’s why partnering with Prep Kitchen affords me the peace of mind that I am receiving protein packed meals that keep me fuelled during training without compromising on the quality. Simply put – I can prep less, and train more.”

Anthony Joshua

Will Fish, co-founder at Prep Kitchen, adds: “At Prep Kitchen, we are beyond delighted to partner with Anthony Joshua – a sporting icon we respect so highly, who shares our passion for achieving excellence and elite standards both in the ring and on the plate. We hope that this partnership will demonstrate that there exists high-quality meals for people looking to achieve their health goals and that you can eat well, even on your busiest days.”

Prep Kitchen currently works with a host of elite athletes brand ambassadors whose training efforts are fuelled by the brand, including World Champion, Commonwealth Champion, British Record Holder, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and former World’s Strongest Man, Eddie Hall.

The new range of Nigerian inspired meals will be available nationwide via prepkitchen.co.uk, starting with West African Style Red Pepper and Peanut Chicken, which has 40.4g of protein. Viewers can follow along for behind-the-scenes insights, meal previews, and Anthony’s favourite picks at @prepkitchenuk and @anthonyjoshua.

Dave Allen reveals who pays the most for sparring

Speaking to TalkSport, WBA International heavyweight champion Dave “The White Rhino” Allen (24-7-2, 19 KOs) revealed who pays the most for sparring sessions.

The 33-year-old has been a pro for over 12 years now, and in that time he has sparred some of this generation’s best world champions, including Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

“The most I earned in sparring was with Wladimir Klitschko,” revealed Allen.

“I lied about my height, I lied about my weight, and I lied about my fitness levels to get into that camp.

“I wasn’t there for long, but he was a lovely fella. Klitschko would have 10 sparring partners, he was the ultimate professional.

“I was earning £1500 a week, and everyone was on the same money.

“He was spending nearly £100,000 on sparring partners.

“He was the ultimate professional. We sparred hard, there were no prisoners taken.

“But for that money, I didn’t complain.

“Usyk also paid very well, £2000 for two weeks.”

But it’s not always a strict business arrangement between sparring partners, it can sometimes be a favour between friends.

“I didn’t get paid to spar AJ because I was sparring him when we were both amateurs,” Allen added.

“I also sparred him during his first three years as a pro, and I probably should have been paid then, but we were kind of mates.

“Tyson [Fury] used to slip me a few quid, but he was always really nice to me, we were friends.

“I would always do the initial few rounds, he would ease his way in, and then he would go and beat some poor fella up after me.

“I sparred ahead of his comeback fights with Seferi and Pianetta at Ricky Hatton’s gym.

“There was a KFC around the corner, and he gave me money for fuel, a oner [£100] for sparring and an extra £20, which I would go around the corner to get some KFC with.”

Wladimir Klitschko: £1,500 per week

Oleksandr Usyk: £1,000 per week

Tyson Fury: £120 per session

Anthony Joshua: £0

Allen is all too familiar with this harsh reality, having briefly hung up his gloves in 2020 after being knocked out on his feet by Usyk in his gym in Ukraine.

Recalling the scenes, he said at the time, “To be honest, when I sparred Usyk, he knocked me unconscious.

“I never went over, I finished the round. But I can remember him hitting me.

“The rest of the round – next thing I knew I was stood outside the ring, packing my bag.

“I was concussed, so that was the last straw.

“I’m not an idiot, so I know when it’s time to finish.

“Yeah, a lot of money could’ve been made, but at what cost? Being embarrassed?

“Being hurt is one thing, but being embarrassed is another.”

During his career, Allen has fought the likes of Dillian Whyte Luis Ortiz,, Tony Yoka, Nick Webb, Lucas Browne, David Price Frazer Clarke, and most recently Johnny Fisher.