WILD YEAR FOR BOXING’S ELITE
AS chants of ‘You big dosser’ echoed around the MGM Grand Garden Arena from Tyson Fury’s fans, the man they were there to support backed WBC heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder into a corner.
A straight right from the Gypsy King – not for the first time – jolted Wilder’s head.
And as he followed up with another right to the head, one to the body and a swinging left hand, the towel that had been in the hands of Mark Breland, one of the American’s trainers, looped up over the ropes and into the ring.
Breland had decided his man had suffered enough in what had been a devastating display from Fury.
One that had seen him school the Bronze Bomber over seven-anda-half rounds to complete a remarkable turnaround after finding himself on life’s canvas three-and-ahalf years earlier, when mental health problems took hold on the back of his first world-title triumph.
February’s victory over Wilder would be arguably the finest performance from any fighter in 2020.
And it laid the foundations for talks of a clash between Fury and Anthony Joshua, the WBA, IBF and WBO world champion, to begin.
A deal for the pair to fight this year was agreed in principle, but there was still much negotiating to be done.
Since Joshua’s win over Kubrat
Pulev in December, however, talks have advanced, with AJ’S promoter Eddie Hearn claiming last week that a deal is “close”.
Joshua agreed. “I promise you it’s happening,” he said, with a date in May or June most likely.
Joe Joyce (below) will watch developments with a keen eye after beating rival Daniel Dubois in November to become the European heavyweight champion, with the Londoner looking to be in the mix for a world-title fight at the end of this year or early next.
Billy Joe Saunders’ v victory over Martin Murray in December means he remains in line for a clash with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez this year after he beat Liverpool’s Callum Smith last month, although a third encounter with Gennady Golovkin may take precedence for the Mexican.
After years of trash talk between Amir Khan and Kell Brook, fight fans may finally see them meet, following Brook’s November defeat to Terence Crawford. And, despite their advanced years, it will still generate plenty of interest.
Nowhere near as much, though, as a clash between two real old-timers, Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield. Talks of their third meeting have intensified after Tyson’s exhibition contest with Roy Jones Jr (above, with Tyson) made an eye-watering £60million — a sum that would be dwarfed by any meeting with Holyfield.
HENRY DE BROMHEAD has indicated that Notebook could take on Chacun Pour Soi once more at next month’s Dublin Racing Festival.
The dual Grade 1-winning novice chaser had to settle for second when the pair met at Leopardstown last weekend.
GORDON ELLIOTT is in no rush to firm up on plans for the promising Hollow Games who made it two wins from as many starts in a bumper at Leopardstown on Tuesday.
The classy fiveyear-old is likely to have just one more run this season but Elliott is as yet unsure where that might be.
THE Dublin Racing Festival on his agenda is Petit Mouchoir (above) who ran so well to finish third to Sharjah in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown on Tuesday.
The big race regular was having his first start for Gordon Elliott and will now be aimed at next month’s Irish Champion Hurdle.
PLANS moving forward are fluid for the classy novice chaser Latest Exhibition who ran so well when second to Monkfish at Leopardstown on Tuesday.
Paul Nolan is aiming his charge at one of the novice chases at the Cheltenham Festival but is undecided whether his charge will run again before then.