Oleksandr Usyk has pretty much summed up what everyone else is thinking regarding his ongoing fight saga with Tyson Fury as both men prepare for the next bouts — just not against each other.
A deal between the two heavyweights looked to have been agreed earlier this year but was ultimately called off back in March following disputes over the final purse split, with both parties blaming the other and fight fans left frustrated.
Unsurprisingly, there has been plenty of choice words exchanged since, with John Fury even demanding Usyk “apologise for trying to bamboozle the public“, but now the 36-year-old has called on everyone involved to stop talking and start acting.
Speaking in an exclusive with TNT Sports, Usyk suggested that he has been handed the wrong opponent but that “this is part of the way and if I have this Englishman in my way now then I have to face him”.
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In an admittedly rare moment of pleasantry in what has been a typically trash-talk-filled build-up, the WBA, WBO and IBF holder said of Fury: “As a human being, I think he is a great person. I think he’s a great man, a great father, a great family man and as an athlete he’s brilliant as well.
Nevertheless, the nine-time title holder went on to say, “there’s too much words, instead of actions”, adding that “The whole world wants to see the fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury and we have to make it. People are tired of talks. We need to do instead of talk.” He’s not wrong.
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As for Dubois, Usyk insisted that he won’t “underestimate him… I do [the same] volume of work in my training and with Daniel Dubois there is no exception… I train as hard as I can, as it’s possible, to achieve my goal in the ring”, though there is no doubt Usyk sees this as merely a stepping stone to get to Fury.
However, the 34-year-old admitted back in June that he is out of practice and could potentially face a “12-round disaster” if he were to fight him now, having been out of the ring pretty much ever since his fight against Derek Chisora back in December 2022.
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The Gypsy King has also been busy with other projects besides boxing in the interim too, with he and the rest of the Fury family revealing their new Netflix reality show late last month, which is set to air on 16 August.
As for younger brother Tommy, he has finally announced his next fight against yet another YouTube and social media personality in KSI, warning that he wants to end the recent influencer boxing trend “within 12 months”.
Featured Image — Oleksandr Usyk (via Twitter)/Tyson Fury (via Instagram)
Sport
Ex-Man United man Louis Saha says Old Trafford’s deterioration shows a ‘lack of respect’ for the fans
Danny Jones
Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha has come to claim that the deterioration of Old Trafford is disrespectful to the fans.
The retired French forward, who represented the club 120 times and scored 42 goals during his time at the club between 2004-08, has come to the defence of the Man United faithful, insisting that the stadium is simply no longer up to the standard.
Speaking to Paddy Power earlier this week, the Red Devils old number nine said, “The state of Old Trafford shows a lack of respect to the supporters. They pay for tickets, create the atmosphere, and they need to have a better experience.
“The images of the roof leaking are ridiculous for those who are proud of the club, it’s unacceptable. It’s a bad sign that the investment has not been made in the right place at the right time.” In case you missed it, the Theatre of Dreams looked more like some kind of drowning nightmare after last week’s flooding.
“I’ve heard Gary Neville complain about it many times, and he’s been warning the club about it for a while”, Saha continued. “For it to get to that point, it was really embarrassing.
Flooding was just spotted in the stands but there were various reports and clips posted on social media showing interior leaks, including in the away dressing room.
The 45-year-old went on to say: “It’s symbolic, but it means a lot. For a fan that has paid so much for their membership and ticket, they haven’t been respected. It needs to be addressed – fans should not be seeing this.”
Fans have been complaining about various problems with Old Trafford‘s infrastructure for years now as despite being one of the most valuable football clubs in the world, Man United’s home ground and various other facilities are widely considered to be pretty outdated.
New co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has already intimated that he would rather build an entirely new stadium than renovate Old Trafford, especially since it has been estimated that it would cost more to repair and redevelop the existing structure than it would start from scratch.
There have also been plenty of mock-ups as to what a ‘New Trafford’ might look like should the prospective plans be greenlit. Mayor Andy Burham has already been appointed as part of the new stadium ‘taskforce’ and says it could prove to be the biggest regeneration scheme in the country.
Be it giving the iconic football stadium some much-needed TLC or providing the fans with an entirely new one, it’s fair to say the club can’t expect to return to their glory days by allowing Old Trafford to continue deteriorating and letting its legacy slip into squalor.
Featured Images — Web Summit (via Flickr)/Wikimedia Commons/The Manc Group
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Man City confirm Ederson will miss rest of the season following fractured eye socket
Danny Jones
Manchester City have revealed that goalkeeper Ederson will miss the final two games of the season after suffering a fractured eye socket following a hefty collision earlier this week.
City’s second-choice keeper Stefan Ortega was forced to come on and produce some heroics against Tottenham on Tuesday night after Ederson was on the receiving end of a forceful challenge from centre-back Cristian Romero, ultimately being hooked off despite trying to play on for a few more minutes.
The Brazilian number one was left visibly upset by the decision, thrashing his seat on the bench and planting his head in his hands following the understandably cautious substitution, but it proved to be the right move the club has now confirmed a bone-break around his eye.
With manager Pep Guardiola having already to press after the game that Ederson has a “problem with his eye” and “could not see” properly, the club have now confirmed that he will now be out for the rest of the season.
As detailed in the update, scans revealed a “small fracture” of his right eye socket and being struck by the leg and hip of the Spurs defender.
It was clear that all was not well in the immediate aftermath of the two players clashing as the 30-year-old was left lying on the floor for some time and medical staff were rushed over.
Although concussion was ultimately ruled out and only the fracture has been confirmed, Ederson did go on to slip with his first kick of the ball and was seen shaking his head as if to shrug off the impact in the following moments.
He was also pictured with a very noticeable black eye following the full-time whistle.
This obviously means that in addition to missing Man City’s last Premier League game of the season against West Ham this weekend, where they might very well lift their fourth consecutive title, he will also miss the FA Cup final against Man United.
With it being just the second Manchester derby cup final in history, a second in a row as it happens, he, the team and the fans will obviously be gutted to be without their go-to shot-stopper.
Nevertheless, it’s a relief to see his safety being prioritised not only during the same on Tuesday night but in the days since and if there’s one thing it proved it’s that Ortega is more than capable of filling in for him when needed.
As any fan would following a scary injury like that, we join the club in wishing him a speedy recovery.