Tyson Fury’s dad John has said that the heavyweight won’t fight Oleksandr Usyk until he “apologises for trying to bamboozle the public” and, as the Fury camp sees it, derailing the highly-anticipated fight.
Speaking to Seconds Out earlier this week, the boxing family patriarch admitted that the chances of the fight between Fury and Usyk are looking more doubtful by the day, with negotiations souring earlier this year following a debate over the purse.
However, in the middle of discussions, it looks as though things got a lot more personal and both camps have exchanged choice words since, with the Ukrainian calling Fury “greedy belly” for supposedly demanding a 70/30 split and John Fury labelling his son’s would-be opponent a “poison rabbit“.
Admittedly, boxing trash talk is always a world we’ll struggle to take fully seriously, but Fury senior still made it clear that the situation is no joke on their end, insisting that the WBC champion requires an apology before talk of a potential fight stand any chance of resuming.
John Fury has said Tyson Fury won't fight Oleksandr Usyk until he makes a public apology: “Unless he gets on video and tells the truth of what he did, there'll never be a fight for Usyk, never… It'll be when he apologises for trying to put the blame on Tyson.” [@SecondsOutLive]
“I’ll tell you what’s gonna happen here”, says Fury, “until he gets on and makes a proper video explaining what he did, tell the truth, he may never get the fight with Tyson. It’s gone past money now with Tyson. It’s gone past everything with us. They are taking the p***.
ADVERTISEMENT
He’s a nobody, Usyk. Yes he’s won a few belts off [Anthony Joshua]. You’ve seen how AJ’s been performing — he’s not performed for a while now… Tyson will iron him right out, and anybody in the game knows it.”
“They’re not good businessmen. What they’re doing now proves they’re all cowardly liars… There’s been no concrete offer anywhere, there’s been no money put forward, no deposits, nothing… he’s trying to turn the public against Tyson, which they’ve done a good job of because the public’s daft anyway”.
ADVERTISEMENT
Fury went on to assure that “unless he gets on the video and tells the truth of what he did, there will never be a fight for Usyk … If it ever does come off, [it will be] when he apologises for trying to bamboozle the public.” That being said, Tyson still seems to be hinting that something might happen:
Tyson Fury teasing a "big announcement coming" on Instagram this morning: "It's here, it's landed."
This, of course, doesn’t necessarily mean that he and the unified IBF, WBO and IBO title-holder have come to an agreement behind the scenes but it feels like the only concrete outcome fight fans would be interested in hearing about, that is, if the appeal is still even there.
Earlier this week, former boxer and four-time world champions Carl Froch told talkSPORT, “It’s getting frustrating now, it’s getting annoying listening to him because we all just wanna see Tyson Fury fight” — a sentiment that most would probably echo.
ADVERTISEMENT
Froch even went on to wonder “how serious he is now about fighting”, warning that “if he gets too out of shape and he’s out of the ring for too long, it gets past the point of no return and all of a sudden he’s gonna find himself in a hard fight against somebody who’s bang average”, let alone Usyk,
You can watch John Fury’s full interview on Second Out Live down below:
Whether or not Usyk feels like he owes the Furys an apology is another question entirely.
Featured Image — Tyson Fury/John Fury/Oleksandr Usyk (via Instagram)
Sport
Manchester Storm’s record-breaking return to AO Arena goes down a storm with fans
Daisy Jackson
Manchester Storm have made their grand return to the AO Arena, after more than two decades away from their former home.
And it appears the ice hockey craze (which may have been spurred on by a certain Heated Rivalry) is here to stay, with record-breaking numbers piling into the venue for Sunday’s match against Sheffield Steelers.
The AO Arena has now shared that a record crowd of 11,000 fans attended the long-awaited Manchester Storm homecoming last week.
The action has gone down a storm with fans, with plenty of chatter on social media (and videos of a certain fight) doing the rounds.
Manchester Storm’s homecoming has now smashed the record for an Elite Hockey pre-season fixture, with fans travelling from across Manchester and beyond.
As the team enters this new era, bidding farewell to the ‘Storm Shelter’ in Altrincham that’s been their home for a decade, demand for tickets is continuing to grow.
This is the first time fans have been able to see the club on the ice at the AO Arena since 2004, and last weekend they thrilled supporters with a 5-5 draw agains the Steelers.
Manchester Storm is now set to bring approximately 35 games to the city centre each year, providing a regular programme of major sporting events for Manchester and its visitors.
It also brings elite-level hockey back to one of Europe’s largest indoor sporting arenas.
Gemma Vaughan, General Manager at the AO Arena says, “Tonight is a hugely significant moment for Manchester.
“To welcome Manchester Storm back to their former home after more than 20 years, and to do so in front of a record Elite Hockey League crowd, is incredibly special.
“The response from supporters has demonstrated the strength of Manchester’s passion for ice hockey and the demand for world-class sport in the city. We’re proud to be able to provide a home for the Storm as they begin this exciting new chapter.”
Erling Haaland has named his four favourite films… and fans have a lot to say on it
Emily Sergeant
Erling Haaland has answered the all-important question.
The question heard around the world, the question on everyone’s lips, a question that has absolutely nothing to do with football whatsoever… that’s right, he’s answered Letterboxd’s famous question of ‘what are your four favourite films?’.
If you’re unaware of what Letterboxd is, it describes itself as being an ‘online diary platform and app for film lovers’ and it gives users the chance to display their four favourite films at the top of their profile for all to see (and judge).
An extension of this has then been Letterboxd asking celebrities in press junket interviews and on red carpets what their ‘four faves’ are – and it’s gone on to become something of a phenomenon in the film world.
Everyone from massive A-list movie stars, to indie darlings and up-and-coming names have answered this question before, and now (it appears) to be Erling Haaland’s turn.
He’s not the first footballer to be tasked with question though, as the entire Spurs team was ambushed with it by former player – and famously massive cinephile – Alfie Whiteman last year, but it’s fair to say that after the summer he’s had with Norway at the World Cup, achieving international fame in the process, that Haaland is one of the most high-profile to answer it in a long while.
So, what’s on Erling’s list then?
Well, to self-confessed ‘film bros’ out there, you’re not going to find any deep cuts in this selection unfortunately, and you’re probably not going to get any recommendations for movies you haven’t seen before either, but come on, he is only a footballer after all.
Erling Haaland has named his four favourite films… and fans have a lot to say on it / Credit: Letterboxd
First up for the Manchester City striker is a pretty common pick by straight white men, it’s The Wolf of Wall Street, and he doesn’t give much of a reason for it, other than just suggesting: “I think you understand why”.
He then follows that up with Ridley Scott’s classic Gladiator, calling it ‘amazing’, before naming 2004’s epic Troy, and then rounding it out with a Christmas favourite for many, Home Alone, adding that he ‘watched it a lot as a kid, and then again now’.
As for fan reaction to Haaland’s four favourites, let’s just say it’s been mixed.
Among the 1,000+ comments on the Instagram video, you’ll find just as many people called him ‘king’ and saying he has ‘goated’ taste, as you will comments like this: “He has the most male gazed top four in history of Letterboxd.”
Danny Jones -
23rd June 2023 
