UK Boxing
Cristiano Ronaldo’s gesture noticed during the Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk match
Published
8 months agoon
By
J. HumzaCristiano Ronaldo appeared to point to his watch as he made an impromptu gesture during the historic world heavyweight title fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury. The former Real Madrid and Manchester United superstar was among the distinguished guests who attended the fight, including Anthony Joshua and Steven Gerrard, as well as Wladimir Klitschko and Andriy Shevchenko.
The star-studded crowd showed just how much was at stake in Riyad, in what was arguably the most essential boxing match of a generation. Ultimately, Usyk won, and the Ukrainian secured his sporting immortality by becoming the first unified champion in the weight class since Lennox Lewis in 2000.
The man known as “The Cat” started robust in the first few rounds before “The Gypsy King” showed his famed staying power as he grew in the competition. However, the scales swung in Usyk’s favor in round 7 before Fury was saved by the bell after a series of jabs that left him writhing on the ropes in round 9.
Ultimately, the judges scored the fight 115-112, 114-113 and 114-113, when the Ukrainian fighter won and will go down in history alongside great champions. Despite this, it looked like football star Ronaldo was looking at his watch mid-fight, as the camera caught him watching his watch.
As the local time reached 2am, striker Al-Nassr was spotted pointing at his £1.2m watch, clearly concerned about being up until the early hours of the morning. However, there was no knockout that evening and the fight was fought at a distance during a memorable spectacle.
Before this moment, Ronaldo had the opportunity to chat with fellow soccer star Neymar Jr. as they embraced before a fight after bumping into each other. Their conversation began with the former asking his peer: “How are you, are you okay? What about the injury?” before Neymar replied: “Everything is fine, oh your son is with you,” to which Ronaldo replied: “He has school tomorrow. I told him you’ll come watch boxing with me, but remember you’ll wake up early tomorrow.”
Speaking to the press before the competition, former Barcelona forward Neymar pinned his hopes on Fury being able to defeat his nemesis in an event that would change an entire era. Supporting the British colossus, he predicted an enjoyable fight, saying: “Obviously Tyson, but it’s a great fight, an amazing fight.”
Meanwhile, Liverpool great Gerrard was also present at the Kingdom Arena building and confirmed that he simply couldn’t resist a trip to see both players fight for a unified title. Now manager of Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq, the Anfield great admitted he’s a fan of fair-weather boxing, but still seemed excited to be there.
With obvious anticipation, he said: “I’m usually an armchair when it comes to boxing, I’m a massive fan, but I like watching it on TV. When it’s undisputed, when it’s Tyson Fury, when it’s this massive, when it’s happening in Arabia, I have to be here to witness it.
Making his own prediction, the Kop hero added: “Tyson all the way, I’ve been a massive fan for a very long time. I’m not a boxing expert, but the size, reach, weight and what I have have seen him before. I think he’s going to have to deal with a very awkward client, we all know that, but Tyson Fury all day long.
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UK Boxing
Anthony Taylor collapsed minutes after Darren Till KO and viewers were left terrified
Published
7 hours agoon
January 19, 2025There were disturbing scenes during the last Misfits Boxing gala in Manchester on Saturday evening when Anthony Taylor collapsed after being stopped by fellow MMA fighter Darren Till.
The American took up the fight shortly after Tommy Fury withdrew, but he was no match for Till, who dominated from the very beginning.
In his first boxing fight, the Liverpudlian looked outstanding from the bell, displaying impressive hand speed and having no trouble countering Taylor’s aggressive approach.
Threatening to KO from the start, Till secured a stoppage in the sixth round.
But what happened next shocked those who watched the event. Taylor, who entered the fight with a 7-4 boxing record, broke down in post-fight interviews. He was later taken away from the Co-Op Arena in a wheelchair.
Many assumed that Taylor was then taken to the hospital for tests. However, according to Ariel Helwani, after being given oxygen and found to be stable, he was allowed to return to his accommodation.
Misfits co-founder Mams Taylor later confirmed that Taylor had regained consciousness. He also said Taylor did not need a hospital visit because he was “conscious and well” when he entered the locker room.
He later posted a video on social media in which he spoke clearly and promised to bounce back from the shocking defeat. “It’s OK, I took the L (loss) like a motherfucker,” he said.
“I’ll be back. I’m fine. Thank you all for your love and support, thank you to everyone who makes fun of me too. I don’t give a damn. I deserve it. But at the end of the day, I’ll fucking come back.”
“Pretty Boy,” who has a professional MMA record of 7-5 but has not fought since August 2019, also took aim at Fury. WX wrote, “Now we know why Tommy Fury backed out,” along with two laughing emojis.
The Misfits Boxing 20 main event was only organized after the Manchester fighter withdrew. The younger brother of former heavyweight champion Tyson stated that he was not content with Till’s claim that he would resort to “MMA tactics” if he lost the fight.
Do later denied that he wasn’t stern when giving the warning, saying it was simply a marketing tactic. It wasn’t until December 29 that it was confirmed that Taylor had stepped in as a replacement.
UK Boxing
Darren Till’s Mystery Woman Tattoo Explained in Response to Paige VanZant’s Claims
Published
19 hours agoon
January 18, 2025Former UFC welterweight title challenger Darren Till covered up a tattoo of a girl, sparking debate among fight fans.
The Liverpudlian is set to make his Misfits Boxing debut tonight against Anthony Taylor, almost two years after his departure from the UFC. Till left the MMA promotion to explore other opportunities. He was scheduled to make his professional boxing debut against former Mexican WBC middleweight boxing champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr last July, but the fight was ultimately canceled.
Instead, he faced Palestinian mixed martial arts champion Mohammad Mutie in an exhibition boxing match at Social Knockout 3 in Dubai the same month. Despite a blow to the back of Muti’s head, Till was declared the winner by technical knockout in the second round.
He is currently expected to move to Manchester but faces a tough opponent in Taylor, who has extensive experience in the Misfits world. Fans noticed that Till covered up a tattoo of his girlfriend’s face with a gorilla. He previously stated that he got the tattoo so that the woman, the mother of his two children, would always be close to him, even during fights.
Many fans wrongly believed that Till’s tattoo resembled former UFC star Paige VanZant, but the Liverpool MMA fighter rejected such suggestions. “That’s my girl,” Till explained about the ink. “It was a surprise for her on her birthday. I thought, ‘Yes, I’ll do something different. I’ll put a tattoo on her face.”
The topic of tattoos continued, but Till insisted: “It’s not Paige VanZant, I don’t even know who she is. As I said about my girlfriend, she is second to none. So every time I fight, she fights too. And she gets beat up by me, so if she pisses me off, I just go to the gym and let some guys beat me up.”
The combat sports world has also been abuzz with news of Till’s potential fight with Tommy Fury, which has now fallen apart. Fury explained his decision to withdraw in a statement on social media: “I can’t believe I’m writing this but now I’m not fighting Darren Till on January 18. For one straightforward reason: Darren has repeatedly stated that he does not want to follow the rules of professional boxing and that if he loses a fight, he will resort to kicks and other stupid MMA tactics.”
Fury continued to explain, emphasizing his dedication to boxing and lamenting the wasted preparation. “I’m a professional boxer, I’ve been out of the ring for over a year and I wanted it to be a great boxing match for the fans. I wasted weeks in training camps. We are working demanding to find a fresh opponent and I promise that I will find a better opponent and a better fight for you. Good news just around the corner.”
UK Boxing
The former Chelsea footballer joined the KSI boxing fight amid a major career change
Published
23 hours agoon
January 18, 2025Former Chelsea footballer Wayne Bridge is reportedly set for a surprise career change after being lined up as KSI’s next boxing opponent.
The former Chelsea and Manchester City star won the Premier League playing under Jose Mourinho in 2004-05 and added the FA Cup and EFL Cup in 2006-07.
In 2009, he moved to Manchester City, where he spent three years before spending time on loan at West Ham, Brighton and Sunderland.
The former England international retired from football in 2014 after leaving Reading. However, he has remained in the spotlight because he is married to singer Frankie Bridge (née Sandford), former lead singer of girl band The Saturdays.
Now he is ready for an unexpected career change from football to boxing after being selected as one of KSI’s potential opponents.
According to Daily mailBridge is “one of the names mentioned” to fight the famed YouTuber and social media personality, with the fight scheduled for March 29.
KSI – whose real name is Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji and also goes by the nickname “JJ” – got into boxing alongside fellow YouTubers Logan and Jake Paul.
The London-born star is a household name in the celebrity world, having released her own rap album and enjoying success in various ventures, including The Sidemen and launching a drink called PRIME.
The 31-year-old recently expressed his desire to fight former UFC champion Conor McGregor in an exhibition fight. However, it looks like he will face a completely different opponent in Brydra.
Bridge, now 44, was plagued by injuries later in his career but is now said to be in “top form”. He has also entered the ring once, so he is no stranger to fighting with ropes.
Seven years ago, he faced Spencer Matthews, who previously appeared on the reality show Made in Chelsea, in a charity fight for Sport Relief and emerged victorious.
In the meantime, KSI fought Logan Paul twice and his record in six fights in the ring is 4-2.
His only defeat was against Tommy Fury in September 2023, when Fury, the younger brother of former heavyweight champion Tyson, won the fight by majority vote.
He has previously touched on the topic of fighting bridge when the topic was broached by another former footballer, Peter Crouch, on his podcast in October 2023.
He said, “You know, if you ever need someone to step in, I know someone who trains all the time. So if you need someone last minute, Wayne Bridge.”
KSI replied, “If he really cares about it, it would definitely be great to have him on Misfits.”
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