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David Haye, Lennox Lewis and Joseph Parker announce Tyson Fury’s return

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Tyson Fury will return to the ring on Saturday evening against Arslanbek Makhmudov in London.

ESPN spoke to three heavyweight experts: David Haye, Joseph Parker and Lennox Lewis, to get their take on Fury’s latest return and how the fight might go.


David Haye

Are you joyful that Tyson Fury is back?

“Yes, of course. Boxing is better with Tyson Fury. We need controversy; we need ‘The Gypsy King’ in the heavyweight division.” It’s not as fun without it.

I hope he will be back to his best on Saturday night. Makhmudov is not a pushover. He’s not the easiest guy when you don’t know what you have left. Makhmudov is the perfect opponent, but you’ll need 12 rounds of action or he’ll flood you.

“He’s very sturdy, he hits tough. He’s not the most skillful boxer. It’s one thing to say, ‘I’m No. 1 in the world, I didn’t lose to Usyk’… It doesn’t matter. We’ll see on Saturday night.”

Do you think he’ll be sitting in the locker room wondering how he’ll handle being in that ring?

“No, he’s been doing it since he was a child. He won’t worry at all. It’s a normal human attitude. He’s a fighter. He’s shown it time and time again. He was there with Wilder when he was an undefeated beast and he beat him.

“The fight with Makhmudov won’t surprise him. It’s not about his mindset, it’s about his physicality. That’s an unknown.”


Joseph Parker

Were you around him, how did Tyson do at camp?

“He’s in amazing shape. He always puts in the work. Always. It’s nice to see him joyful and enjoying camp. I think it’s for him now [to] enjoy every moment.

“He’s in great shape and ready to go. Even now he’s the fittest player in the camp. We’re training in Thailand, it’s very balmy in the gym, I did 4-5 rounds of sparring with him and I really felt it. I jumped out, another guy jumped in… Then another guy.

The fight against Makhmudov is not effortless. What is Tyson’s attitude on this matter?

“I don’t think Tyson could have trained harder [than if it was] title fight. He treated this guy [Makhmudov] like he was King Kong. That’s how he was trained for this fight, and I can say this truthfully because I was there.


Lennox Lewis

Tyson looks in good shape and has been relaxed and joyful all week. What version of him do you expect to see on Saturday night?

“I expect Tyson Fury to come out on the pitch and feel confident. He has already been through trials and tribulations with [Francis] Ngannou struggles as he gets caught in the first rounds.

“He’s going to make sure he doesn’t get caught… He knows how it feels and he doesn’t want it to happen again.”

Do you think the leave could have helped him?

“100%. I think Thailand has done so many good things for him. He’s a guy who needs to get away. He doesn’t like people, but he loves being around his family and they make him feel good. He is [been] in a place where you feel good, allows you to lose weight comfortably.

“If he comes back and expresses his desire to box a few more times, he can stay for at least another year.”

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Boxing

Former footballers’ boxing event, supported by Tony Bellew and David Price, raised £73,500 for charity

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Ex-footballers’ boxing event backed by Tony Bellew and David Price raises £73,500 for charity

A commendable sum of £73,500 was raised for charity as Tony Bellew and David Price gathered for a boxing night in Liverpool.

The gala took place on April 17 and former professional footballers clashed at the event, which was endorsed by sporting icons such as Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.

The event, billed as “A Night To Remember II”, followed Pro Project Promotions’ first charity boxing event in October with the aim of giving retired athletes the opportunity to rekindle their competitive spirit.

Similarly, Pro Project Promotions founder Graham Stack, a former Arsenal goalkeeper, hopes to raise a total of £500,000 in the organization’s debut year.

He’s already close to halfway there, having raised a total of £201,000 for charities including Children’s Charity Merseyside and Autism Merseyside.

Stack made it clear that this was just the beginning.

“I am very proud to see Pro Project Promotions grow from strength to strength. These events give retired players a purpose, structure and a way to continue to compete for something that truly matters.

“To raise £73,500 [in April] and moving our total for six months over £201,000 is fantastic. We are closing in on £500,000 raised for the charity and I want to thank everyone who has supported us so far.”

Pro Project Promotions will return to Liverpool’s Grosvenor House Hotel on October 22, with ambassadors such as Natasha Jonas and Liam Smith expected to continue to provide support.

As for April’s performance, it was ultimately Swansea City cult hero Lee Trundle who won the main event against former Scotland striker Chris Iwelumo.

Participants, artists and charities for Pro Project Promotions’ next boxing event will be announced in the coming weeks.

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Boxing

Shakur Stevenson may not be seeing the real problem

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Image: Shakur Stevenson May Be Missing The Real Problem

The response was immediate.

One fan accused Stevenson of talking about major fights without taking steps to make them happen.

“The fuck is when are you??? You ran to Zuffa to avoid Shock??? You didn’t want to smoke with Devin, if you’re waiting for the right moment it makes sense if you fight, now you’re trying so tough to keep it 0,” the critic wrote.

Shakur either really doesn’t get it yet or is trying to masterfully do public relations damage control to keep his name among the division’s elite.

If Dana White runs Zuffa Boxing by the UFC playbook, the league format completely changes the game. In this world, you don’t call on top-level players or Matchroom players because you’re locked in a closed ecosystem. The UFC does not partner with Bellator or PFL to stage superfights, and they have no intention of sending their prized fighters to fight on a rival network under a different promotional banner.

If Shakur really thinks he can just pocket a huge salary at Zuffa and still easily land Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney, or Teofimo Lopez, he’s in for a rude awakening. The promotional walls are bulky, and Dana White is not known for playing well with classic boxing promoters.

At this point, Shakur still speaks like an independent performer who can dictate his own path. But if Zuffa is building a league, it has simply traded that independence for a corporate structure. He may find himself trapped in a gilded cage completely isolated from the struggles that he claims define the legacy.

If the UFC model is the plan, it guarantees financial security but risks complete isolation from the wider boxing world. By the time he finishes his tour of duty and realizes that mass promotion fights will be off the table forever, the physical attributes that made him a four-division champion may already be gone.

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Trainer Buddy McGirt Picks Mayweather vs. Pacquiao 2 Winner Based on One ‘Plain Fact’

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Trainer Buddy McGirt picks a winner in Mayweather vs Pacquiao 2 based on one ‘simple fact’

Former two-division world champion and top trainer Buddy McGirt has suggested that one fighter, between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, will likely go into the fight with one clear advantage.

According to reports, both pound-for-pound legends will face each other in a professional rematch scheduled for September 26.

It was originally proposed to take place at the Sphere in Las Vegas on September 19 just for those dealing with the Netflix event to choose a different date and location.

However, despite the uncertainty, it appears that both fighters have agreed to collide in a fully sanctioned fight, with Mayweather graciously putting his 50-0 record on the line.

The 49-year-old hasn’t fought professionally since a 10th-round knockout of Conor McGregor in 2017, which came just over two years after he edged ‘Pac Man’ by unanimous decision.

Pacquiao, on the other hand, has competed in eight professional fights since their first meeting, most recently drawing to a 12-round draw with then-WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios last July.

McGirt said that because of this increased activity in recent years ESNEWS that it favors the 47-year-old Filipino, even if neither player can realistically claim to be a role model of activism.

“I am [going to] follow Pacquiao for the straightforward fact that Floyd didn’t fight – e.g [in] fight-fight – for how long?

“These exhibition fights, you can’t really count them. Then again, I’ll go with Pacquiao, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Floyd manages to do it.”

Although Pacquiao has fought more recently than Mayweather, his draw with Barrios ended a nearly four-year hiatus that followed his unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugas.

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