Anthony Joshua has vowed to deliver a “demolition job” on Otto Wallin when the British heavyweight fights on the same bill as Deontay Wilder in Saudi Arabia on December 23.

Joshua, who is looking to insert himself back into the world title picture, will face the Swede as part of a stacked card in Riyadh.

The 34-year-old Joshua, who beat Robert Helenius in his last bout in August, will fight after Wilder, who faces Joseph Parker on the undercard.

The 2012 Olympic gold medallist is on a quest to become a three-time heavyweight champion and he sees Wallin, who claimed a points victory over Murat Gassiev in September, as the next step.

“I’m looking forward to delivering my message to Otto Wallin on December 23,” Joshua told a press conference.

“I can’t predict the future but I know what I want to do. I believe I’m going to be three-time heavyweight champion and the first step is to put a demolition job on Otto Wallin.

“It’s going to be a really good time to go to Saudi. It’s going to be big, we haven’t seen a card like this before.

“This is not a one-stop shop. This is a vision, this is my first stop and I will deliver the message. I’m determined to win and get back to my peak.”

Joshua lost his WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight belts to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and he fell short in their rematch the following year.

Eddie Hearn, his promoter, believes the best is still to come for Joshua, who will step into the ring for a third time this year after victories against Jermaine Franklin and Helenius.

Hearn said: “This is a tough fight. We saw (Wallin) against Tyson Fury, he’s a good southpaw and we have seen something different from AJ (Joshua).

“I think the best chapter is still to write for AJ. He changed the face of Saudi boxing and this is a challenge he wants to take.

“He wants to be heavyweight champion again and I think this will be a destructive performance from him.”

Hearn talked up a potential showdown between Joshua and Wilder next year, saying: “Wilder is potentially a massive fight to bring in 2024.

“This lines everything up for AJ and this lines up his whole career. I can’t wait to see him shine on December 23.”

The date was initially reserved for Tyson Fury and Usyk’s undisputed heavyweight showdown, which has since been postponed following the Briton’s lacklustre performance against Francis Ngannou last month.

Wallin, whose only defeat came against Fury, admitted the fight against Joshua was a bit of a surprise.

He said: “It’s an easy fight to make for us. I didn’t expect to fight again this year. I’m in a great position and feel on top of the world.

“I have been waiting for this for a long time and I’m blessed to be in this position.”

British heavyweight Daniel Dubois will take on American Jarrell Miller on a stacked undercard, which also features Manchester’s Lyndon Arthur challenging WBA light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol and London’s Ellis Zorro taking on IBF cruiserweight holder Jai Opetaia.

Anthony Joshua will fight on the same bill as Deontay Wilder in Saudi Arabia on December 23.

The Briton, who is looking to insert himself back into the world title picture in the heavyweight division, will face Sweden’s Otto Wallin in the Middle East.

Joshua, who beat Robert Helenius in his last bout in August, will fight after Wilder, who faces Joseph Parker on the undercard.

December 23 was initially reserved for Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk’s undisputed heavyweight showdown, which has since been postponed following Fury’s lacklustre performance against Francis Ngannou last month.

Francis Ngannou’s impressive boxing debut has earned him a place in the top 10 of the WBC heavyweight rankings.

Ngannou pushed WBC champion Tyson Fury all the way in a 10-round contest in Riyadh last month, but lost by a contentious split decision on points to the British boxer.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou still earned plenty of admirers for his surprise strong showing after he knocked down Fury in the third round.

Cameroon-born Ngannou immediately signalled his intention to continue his career in boxing and has now been placed in 10th spot of the WBC rankings.

Earlier this month, Matchroom Sport chair Eddie Hearn suggested Ngannou could be a future opponent for former heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua.

The WBC, a sanctioning body, announced its rankings for its respective weight divisions on Wednesday during a ratings session in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.

Adam Azim believes Franck Petitjean is in “massive trouble” ahead of their super-lightweight bout as the Slough fighter sends a verbal warning to the European champion.

The unbeaten 9-0-0 Azim looks to claim European gold when he faces off with the French Petitjean on Saturday after an impressive points victory over tough Ukrainian Aram Fanyan in September.

And the 21-year-old believes his powerful shot selection will be a nightmare for his opponent who “is in for a shock” when the pair meet in Wolverhampton.

“He’s in massive trouble, he’s either getting outscored or he’s going to sleep,” Azim told the PA News agency.

“In some of his interviews he said he’ll be a nightmare for me. He isn’t going to be no nightmare because when he wakes up all the nightmares will be real when I’m the one coming at him.

“He’s in for a shock.

“I’m going to be patient with my shots but I’m looking for the knockout, that’s what I’m after. I’m going to box his head off and let him walk into my shots.

“He’ll see what I’m made of.

“He’ll try and fight me on the inside but I can also fight inside and that’s something he does not know and once he feels my power and speed in the early rounds he definitely won’t come forward after that.”

The 35-year-old Petitjean reclaimed his European super-lightweight belt with a majority decision win over Samuel Molina in June.

And Azim talked up the importance of the bout, saying it is a must win and that he is going to make a massive statement to the rest of the division.

He said: “He has won the European title but I’m going to take it off him. I’ve been after that European title for a very long time and this is my opportunity to take it with both hands.

“The European title is a massive thing for me. I want it really bad.

“It’s a must win. I’m putting everything into this fight and I want to make a massive statement in the last fight of the year.”

Azim highlighted how European champion status could springboard his reputation to a world class level but insisted he has to take care of Petitjean first.

He said: “People see me as a high class fighter and I will get there at one stage. Hopefully that European title will set me at a world class level. I’ve got a job to do first.

“I could say that I’m up there (with the division’s best) but I have got to win the European title first and then hopefully next year I’ll be there.”

Azim takes on Petitjean on November 18, live on Sky Sports.

A date for Tyson Fury’s undisputed world heavyweight title fight with Oleksandr Usyk is set to be revealed on Thursday.

Fury had been expected to clash with WBA, IBF and WBO champion Usyk on December 23, but the British boxer was left blooded and bruised in a contentious points win over Francis Ngannou last month.

That fight was rumoured to be the preamble to the announcement of Fury taking on Usyk and even though the pair got in the ring together, the swollen eye and cut on the forehead of the Gypsy King pushed back the widely-reported proposed date, but an announcement is expected for Thursday.

Bob Arum, chief executive at Fury’s American promoter Top Rank, told Sky Sports: “I can confirm they will fight each other in Saudi Arabia.

“There will be a press conference in London for Thursday of this week – the 16th – and they’ll confirm the date and all the other circumstances of the fight taking place.

“Tyson is ready to fight in February, if that’s when it happens. Remember going in with Ngannou, who showed himself to be very talented, nobody had a book on him because he had never had a prize fight.

“Fighting Usyk is totally different because they have reams and reams of film on Usyk. So, I think Tyson will be a lot better prepared against Usyk than he was against Ngannou.

“I have great confidence in Tyson Fury.

“I really believe Fury against Usyk will be a classic match.”

At 34 years old Donovan “The real prince” Ruddock Jr, has achieved his main goal of launching a professional boxing career.

But the son of iconic two-time Jamaican-Canadian heavyweight champion Donovan "Razor" Ruddock is determined to soar even higher and out of the shadow of his famous father.

Unlike his father, who turned pro at age 19, Ruddock Jr is off to a late start, but he remains undeterred by criticisms that may come about his age, and is instead focused on the prospects of what can be achieved, provided he gets the proper backing.

“I am trying to walk my own path, I am trying to do my own thing and create my own identity. Many times people hear the name they label me as my dad, but I want to create my own history and not live in his shadow," Ruddock Jr declared.

“My career just started because I didn’t really get support like that, so it was kind of rough to get going because everybody was busy doing their own thing and then the family finally came together to make it happen. So it is just about moving forward from here to find my own success,” he told SportsMax.TV.

Though admitting that he doesn’t pack the power of his father, who is ranked on The Ring magazine's "100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time" list, Ruddock Jr believes he possesses more style and flair which he paraded during his debut professional bout against Jazeer Heron at the ‘Rumble in the Sun’ boxing showcase at the National Indoor Sports Centre on Saturday night.

With that bout ending in a draw, Ruddock Jr knows he has much more work to do if he intends to get anywhere close to, or even surpass his father’s record of 47 professional fights, including 40 wins, six losses and one draw, achieved in a dazzling 20-year career.

Even “Razor” Ruddock’s amateur run was lined with historic wins over Lennox Lewis, and show-stopping victories over Ken Lakustra, James "Bonecrusher" Smith, Greg Page and Mike Dokes.

For Ruddock Jr, his amateur record was 12 fights, including seven wins and five losses, and he also won the Golden Glove Novice title in Florida.

“I honestly don’t believe I have the same power as him (my dad) but I believe I have a better boxing style. If I get some full training camps to put in some serious work, I feel like I can put on amazing shows, I feel like I can put on some of the best fights because I am kind of an aggressive fighter and I really do push for action,” Ruddock Jr shared.

“I feel like I just need to calm down a little bit and just let things come to me. It is every boxer’s dream to win a title, but we all have to start small. There are a lot of things that I want to do, but it takes time and a lot of hard work," he acknowledged.

Reflecting on his first professional bout, the South Carolina-based boxer rued the fact that his first time in Jamaica and, by extension first fight, was ruled a stalemate, as he believes he was more efficient in his execution.

“It feels good to have my first professional fight in Jamaica but I feel it was just a biased decision because of my last name and my relationship with my father, I believe is why they didn’t want to give it (the win) to me. I kind of did come in a little boasy but that’s just my character and showmanship I believe is what sells tickets,” Ruddock Jr reasoned.

“I felt like I beat him to the jab, I landed more effective right hand punches, so just the mere fact that I was the ring general and I got some body shots in which he didn’t, meant I won the fight. But hopefully I can come back another time for a rematch,” he noted.

Finally, Ruddock Jr, who now fights in the welterweight category, pointed out that his ambition is to drop down to the lightweight division and work his way up.

“I would rather fight the lightweight because I feel like I can win a belt there and then move up and when another belt at the welterweight. That would look good on my resume being a champion in two weight division and that’s my dream,” the approachable boxer stated.

“But it is going to take a lot of hard work, I’ve taken the lessons from this experience and so I’ll just go back home, get my stuff together and see where we go from here,” Ruddock Jr ended.

Katie Taylor is confident things will be different in her rematch with Chantelle Cameron when she looks to set the record straight back in Dublin on November 25 .

Taylor suffered the first defeat of her professional career in May when Cameron retained her WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO light-welterweight titles with an against-all-odds majority decision win at the 3Arena.

The 37-year-old Bray fighter feels she did not bring her best last time out on her Irish homecoming – something she is determined will not be allowed to happen again.

“I feel like this camp has been very, very different,” Taylor said.

“Mentally and physically, I feel a lot better going into this one and that is obviously a big deal.

“Everyone could say that I definitely was not at my best in the last fight. It was just a flat performance, so I am definitely looking forward to getting things right for the next fight.”

Taylor saw her perfect record in the paid ranks come to an end after 22 consecutive wins – and admits she is now facing up to a “must win” contest when taking on the unbeaten Cameron once again.

“I wouldn’t say there’s any extra pressure on me. I think with every single fight, there is pressure, so I can’t say I feel any more pressure,” Taylor said.

“But I do realise that this is a very, very important fight, probably the most important fight of my career so far, so I am aware of what is at stake here.

“But this is a position any professional boxer dreams of being in – you are headlining a huge show, all the belts are on the line again.

“So while I am very grateful, I do realise this is absolutely a must-win fight.”

Despite knowing what is on the line, Taylor is not about to contemplate a life outside the ring just yet.

“I’m not thinking that this fight is going to be my last fight and I’m not thinking of any other outcome other than a win,” she said.

“I feel very fresh, feel very good in the gym right now. I know I have a lot of fights left in me.”

Cameron had looked to move down to 135lbs for the rematch, and so challenge Taylor’s status as undisputed world lightweight champion.

However, the rematch, again at the 3Arena, will stay at 140lbs and so be for the Northampton fighter’s belts.

Cameron comes into the contest now with an 18-0 record.

Taylor, though, will not concern herself too much with what her opponent might bring to the table this time around.

“I don’t know to be honest, but I am going to be prepared for whatever comes my way,” Taylor said.

“I think she obviously has a high work-rate and she is always going to bring that to the table.

“She is obviously a very, very good fighter, an undefeated fighter and undisputed champion. It is going to be a tough fight regardless.”

Harlem Eubank will try to channel the emotion of the latest tragedy to affect his family when he walks out at Brighton Centre on Friday night for his maiden fight at the venue.

Eubank, the nephew of former two-division world champion Chris Eubank Sr, will box in his city for the first time since his professional debut in 2017 when he faces German super-lightweight Timo Schwarzkopf for the WBO global belt.

Friday is arguably Brighton’s biggest night of boxing since the elder Eubank defended his WBO middleweight title against Dan Sherry at the same venue in 1991, but grief has gripped the family in recent years.

It started with Chris’s son Sebastian dying in 2021 after a heart attack and at the beginning of Harlem’s fight camp in September, his father Simon died after five years with dementia.

“Dad wasn’t able to express himself,” Harlem Eubank told the PA news agency.

“When you know someone, how active that someone is, how they want to be outside cycling or running, it feels like their spirit is almost trapped in a body that is kind of unusable.

“It was difficult to see him degrade and deteriorate over the years, especially in the last few years when it became more rapid.

“I feel he is at peace now and I believe the spirit lives on. I do have strong faith in God and that helps because I know he is free now. He had strong faith as well and he is not trapped any more.

“He is in a different realm and my focus is now doing my best to do him proud because I am sure he is looking down on me.

 

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“I am carrying a lot on my shoulders and that inspires me to work hard every day. To go in there and give the best account of myself. It gives me inner strength and inner drive.

“It is something that is hard to explain until it happens, but it has given me an inner power that drives me on knowing that they are watching and then having my cousin’s son Raheem, my godson, it gives me a different drive and energy going forward.

“I am just trying to carry that. Do my family proud and to lead by example.”

Harlem Eubank is not alone in dealing with the loss of his father, with Chris Sr going through the same process – which has resulted in the pair joining forces ahead of the Wasserman boxer’s fight with Schwarzkopf on Channel Five.

However, had Harlem’s teenage years panned out differently, he could have kicked a ball under the Brighton lights instead.

Part of Albion’s academy between the ages of 12 and 16, the undefeated fighter occasionally trained with Lewis Dunk until he was released, which led to a spell at Lewes alongside Solly March before he lost his love for football.

This opened the door to follow in the footsteps of his father, his uncle and his cousin Chris Eubank Jr, but Roberto De Zerbi’s high-flying Europa League outfit serve as a source of inspiration.

He reflected: “I have seen Brighton go from the Withdean to the Amex (Stadium) and through the leagues into a position now where they are a force in the (Premier League).

“It is inspiring and I want to replicate that success in the world of boxing and achieve world honours. I believe I am capable of doing that and this is the next step on Friday.

“It is a special one, the homecoming. I haven’t fought in my city for a long time.

“People are excited about it and I feel these type of boxing nights are needed in Brighton to put boxing back on the map in the city.

“Albion, the football club, are leading the way but I feel like we have a space to shine a light on boxing in Brighton now too.”

To help Harlem Eubank negotiate the next chapter of his 18-fight career will be uncle Chris, who has been gushing in his praise for the 30-year-old and tipped him to beat Conor Benn – who was set to fight Chris Eubank Jr in 2022.

“He has been to the top of the mountain and it is refreshing that he speaks so highly of me,” Harlem Eubank added.

“It is beautiful to have him by my side now going into this next chapter of my career.

“It feels like this is a big, pivotal moment in my career. A moment that pushes me into a position to big fights domestically and globally.”

David Haye became the WBA heavyweight champion with victory over Nikolai Valuev on this day in 2009.

Haye took victory with a majority points decision in Nuremberg, winning the fight on two judges’ scorecards, with the other scoring it even.

The then 29-year-old took the win despite being seven stone lighter than the 7ft ‘Beast from the East’, who had gained the WBA title for a second time with victory over John Ruiz a little over a year earlier.

Haye’s superior speed showed over his 36-year-old opponent and he became the first Briton to hold a world heavyweight crown since Lennox Lewis retired in 2003.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Haye, who followed Evander Holyfield to become only the second former cruiserweight king to win a portion of the heavyweight crown.

“From when I was a baby, I said I would be the heavyweight world champion.

“I’ve fought the biggest heavyweight champion and caught him with big shots.

“I made him look like an amateur. People doubted my skills, but I did enough to win.”

Remarkably, Haye managed to delight a sizeable British contingent in a 10,000 crowd at the Nuremberg Arena with a suspected broken right hand, which trainer Adam Booth said gave way in the third round.

Haye seemed to tire in the seventh round but he hurt Valuev in the eighth with a huge body shot and almost floored his opponent with yet another vicious left-right combination in the final round.

Haye, who was awarded the fight 116-112, 116-112, 114-114, became only the third Briton to win a world heavyweight title since Bob Fitzsimmons lost his crown to James J Jeffries in 1899.

He promised to “clean up the division” but, after making successful WBA title defences against John Ruiz and Audley Harrison, he lost a unanimous points decision to Wladimir Klitschko in their unification showdown in July 2011.

Tyson Fury has been backed to defeat Oleksandr Usyk when the heavyweights finally meet in their highly anticipated bout.

Fury and Usyk are set to meet in a fight that is tentatively scheduled for early 2024.

Widely considered as the world's leading heavyweight, Fury was pushed to the limit by UFC brawler-turned-boxer Francis Ngannou in a non-title bout in Riyadh on Saturday.

Indeed, Fury was fortunate to come away with a win, with two judges deciding in his favour.

Ryan Garcia, who is set to fight Oscar Duarte in December, believes the undefeated Fury will still have too much for Usyk, though.

"The Gypsy King, that's it," Garcia told Stats Perform.

"He's the best, the Gypsy King is an unbelievable talent. And he has an amazing personality. He's super, super cool."

Fury's meeting with Usyk will quench a long-held thirst, though despite years of posturing, a battle of the Britons between the 35-year-old and Anthony Joshua is yet to take place.

"I'll be excited to see him versus Anthony Joshua one day, I would want to go to that one that will be huge," Garcia said.

"And that’s the one I would actually be looking forward to more [than Fury v Usyk], to be honest."

Fury, for his part, was honest in his appraisal of his own performance against Ngannou in Saudi Arabia.

"He's given me probably one of my toughest fights in the last 10 years," Fury said. "Francis is a hell of a fighter, strong, big puncher, and a lot better boxer than we all thought he would be.

"He's a very awkward man and he's a good puncher and I respect him a lot."

Fury and Usyk bumped into each other in Riyadh prior to Saturday's fight, with the pair sharing an embrace.

And the duo faced off in the ring following the bout, with Fury saying:  "Let's go,"

Usyk added: "Let's go. I'm going to be fighting him, amazing."

Tyson Fury was given a major scare before eking out a split decision win over Francis Ngannou but a showdown against Oleksandr Usyk on December 23 now appears unlikely.

Here, the PA news agency looks at what went down in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between the heavyweight rivals and the potential ramifications.

What happened?

Fury, by his own estimation the greatest heavyweight of all-time, was not only expected to win but put on a show against a mixed martial artist who had never before boxed professionally. While Ngannou holds the record for the hardest punch ever recorded, he is 37, had not fought in any capacity since January 2022 and had undergone reconstructive knee surgery in the interim. Labelled as a circus event unbecoming of boxing in certain quarters, Fury was almost the clown. Put down in the third round, he was tentative throughout and fortunate to get a razor-thin points win.

Why was the fight so close?

Only Fury can answer that. He suggested he was suffering from ring rust, having last fought in December 2022 although that does not hold much water when considering Ngannou’s activity in the past two years. The obvious response is that what appeared a gross mismatch on paper led to Fury wildly underestimating his opponent. Did he cut corners in training? Some observers felt Fury was extra fleshy for this fight. He was given the benefit on the scorecards – just. But if the judge who saw it 95-94 for Fury had scored one round the other way, Ngannou would be celebrating one of the greatest sporting upsets ever.

Was Ngannou robbed?

The shock knockdown allied to landing the more eye-catching blows left many wondering whether Ngannou should have had his hand raised. There is little doubting the result could have gone either way. LeBron James and Gary Lineker were among the most prominent critics of how the judges scored the fight but a robbery indicates Ngannou had everything his own way and that simply was not the case. Fury could not adjust to Ngannou’s awkward style although he employed the jab well and put together the odd combination. But just because Ngannou exceeded any expectations, it does not mean he was swindled.

What next?

As well as perhaps feeling a little chastened, Fury was left with a slight cut on his forehead and bruising over his left eye, injuries he would not have foreseen before the first bell rang. Usyk was brought into the ring afterwards and there was the expectation the undisputed fight between the WBA, IBF and WBO titlist and Fury, the WBC champion whose belt was not on the line in the 10-round encounter on Saturday, would be officially announced at the same venue for just before Christmas. The pair had a brief staredown but the hype was not there following Fury’s underwhelming performance. Fury’s promoter Frank Warren hinted his charge’s wounds would prevent a December clash.

Should we expect more crossover fights?

Yes. MMA has often been viewed as boxing’s poorer relation, both in terms of its actual standing and how the sports recompense their fighters. MMA fighters have generally not done well in a boxing ring – Conor McGregor, Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz have all faltered in recent years – but Ngannou has single-handedly raised his sport’s stock. Ngannou’s success will almost certainly pave the way for more MMA stars while the Cameroonian-Frenchman said in the aftermath he intends to juggle boxing with his duties in the Professional Fighters League.

Could a Fury-Ngannou rematch be on the cards?

The millions both fighters banked plus the disputed nature of the result means a return bout seems almost inevitable – even if Fury intimated afterwards the Usyk fight will be next for him. While he extended his record to 34 wins and one draw from 35 contests, will Fury be satisfied that so many thought he lost to a boxing novice? Surely he will want to correct the record down the line? For now, though, Fury announced his intention to return home and spend time with his family after what he said was a long training camp and the likelihood is he will not be seen in the ring until 2024.

Tyson Fury is doubtful to face Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed world heavyweight title on December 23 after being left bloodied and bruised in a contentious points win over Francis Ngannou.

What seemed a total mismatch on paper between the unbeaten WBC champion and a mixed martial artist making his professional boxing debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, almost went awry for Fury.

Fury was expected to toy with the former UFC heavyweight champion but instead endured a torrid night, receiving a small cut on his forehead before being knocked down in the third round.

Fury rose almost straight away but was clearly unnerved by an awkward opponent whose style he could not quite get to grips with, relying on his jab and the odd combination to get by over the 10 rounds.

Ngannou produced the flashier blows, leading to an outcry on social media when Fury was awarded a split decision win, given the nod 96-93 and 95-94 on two scorecards as a third judge sided against him 95-94.

The fight was rumoured to be the preamble to the announcement of Fury taking on Usyk just before Christmas and the WBA, IBF and WBO champion was ringside as he engaged in a staredown with the Briton.

While Fury, who was also left with a swollen left eye, was animated, there was an overall flat feeling after he had his hand raised and his promoter Frank Warren issued a more sobering appraisal.

“Tyson’s got a cut there so it’s no good setting a date whilst he’s got that cut on the top of his head – we’ve got to see how that heals,” Warren said in the ring afterwards.

“He’s going to rest up, that’s what’s going to happen next then he’ll make his decision (about) what he wants to do because he’s the boss. But this fight is on. It’s just a matter of now setting a date.”

There was no celebratory press conference following the fight after Fury (now 34-0-1, 24KOs) admitted he had been given one of the toughest tests of his career by the former UFC heavyweight champion.

However, he told Usyk in the ring: “I’m a fighter, he’s a fighter, I’m sure we’d go now. We’re prizefighters, let’s go now if you want. These guys (promoters) will sort it all out and it’ll be on.”

Usyk, a London 2012 gold medallist and former undisputed world cruiserweight champion who has won all 21 of his professional contests, said: “We’re back in this ring on 23 December, I’m ready to fight.”

Fury had likened Ngannou’s chances in the non-title bout to that of a table tennis champion facing Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final – and his words came back to bite him post-fight.

Ngannou, 37, who had not fought in any capacity since January 2022 and had reconstructive knee surgery in that time, said pointedly on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Table Tennis champion of the world.”

The Cameroonian-Frenchman also took aim at the scorecards, adding: “This boxing world wild but some judges should be responsible for their actions. This type of stuff is what f**** up people’s career.”

Ngannou also shared the thoughts of American basketball great LeBron James, who wrote: “Exactly why i don’t watch boxing! C’mon man!”. Former England striker Gary Lineker added: “We’ve just seen a robbery.”

Andy Murray, former world number one tennis player, believes boxing has suffered a setback following Fury’s hugely unconvincing showing in this crossover event.

He wrote: “How many points would the world no1 squash player win vs the world number 1 tennis player in a tennis match and vice versa? Im thinking close to zero for both….bad look for boxing.”

Lennox Lewis, the last heavyweight to be undisputed champion before the four-belt era, was among the boxing royalty ringside and was similarly unimpressed by Fury.

He said: “The lion can’t let the shark come into the jungle and nearly beat him. Ngannou’s stock is up. Fury’s stock is down in a luckluster win for Fury.”

Tyson Fury had to get up off the canvas before grinding his way to a highly unconvincing split decision win over Francis Ngannou in their heavyweight showdown in Saudi Arabia.

What appeared a mismatch between the WBC champion and a mixed martial artist boxing professionally for the first time did not go according to plan for Fury, who was decked by a left hook in the third round.

Despite rising to his feet almost immediately, Fury was on unsteady legs in the moments afterwards before getting behind his jab, keen to stay out of range of the former UFC heavyweight champion.

Fury ate a few more big shots and ended the fight with a cut above his forehead and a welt under his left eye – which could have an impact on a proposed showdown against Oleksandr Usyk on December 23.

But the Briton, whose world title was not on the line, was spared what would have been one of the biggest upsets of all-time after being given the nod 96-93 and 95-94 on two scorecards, as the third judge sided with Ngannou 95-94 following an unexpectedly keenly contested 10-round encounter.

“That definitely wasn’t in the script,” Fury said in the ring immediately after improving his record to 34 wins and one draw.

“Francis is a hell of a fighter; strong, a big puncher and a lot better boxer than we all thought he would ever be. He’s a very awkward man and a I respect him a lot – before the fight and afterwards.

“He’s given me one of my toughest fights in the last 10 years. I don’t know how close it was but I got the win and that’s what it is. No excuses, Francis caught me with some good punches, fair play to him.”

The fight was billed as the start to ‘Riyadh Season’, with Saudi Arabia heavily criticised for trying to ‘sportswash’ its reputation and distract from its long history history of human rights abuses.

After fans shuffled to the main arena from a nearby venue which held the undercard, there was an opening ceremony featuring performances from musicians, accompanied by dancers, and culminated in a boxing ring rising from the floor on to the stage.

It was an elaborate spectacle in front of a star-studded crowd which included rappers Kanye West and Eminem as well as footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, plus a host of boxing and MMA royalty such as Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson, Manny Pacquiao, Roberto Duran, Lennox Lewis, Ricky Hatton and Conor McGregor.

Both fighters wore crowns and sat on thrones before making way their way to the ring, Ngannou for the first time aged 37. After the anthems and introductions, there was an expectation the Cameroonian-Frenchman would bull rush his foe but it was Fury who threw a wild overhand right at the outset.

He landed a good jab to the body and head and even appeared to be giving instructions to Ngannou when they were in the clinch, calling to ‘break’. The smaller and slightly lighter Ngannou seemed plodding in comparison as Fury ended the round with a solid combination which rocked his rival’s head back.

However, Ngannou started to settle in the second round and connected with a lead left look before an accidental head clash. It was unclear which caused the cut to Fury’s head but it unsettled the world champion who repeatedly touched the small wound.

If that was a minor issue, Fury had to confront a major setback in the third round after a clubbing counter left hook to the side of his temple – above his right ear – put him on his back.

Ngannou taunted his adversary, briefly dancing over him, but while it was a flash knockdown, it instantly swung the momentum of the fight. From that point Fury was reluctant to engage too much, wary of the power of a man who holds the world record for the hardest punch ever recorded.

Fury was off-balance again in the fourth before rediscovering some rhythm with a jab and right hand in the fifth although he stayed at range, refusing to allow Ngannou any chance of a response.

The pattern of Fury staying on the outside and flicking out the jab continued into the sixth and while Ngannou seemed to be tiring, he was able to routinely outmuscle the favourite in the rare clinches.

There was a lack of urgency down the stretch from Fury and he soaked up another heavy left from Ngannou in the eighth before perhaps doing just enough to nick the final two rounds and with it: the fight.

This was not the tune-up Fury would have envisaged for an undisputed world title showdown against Usyk, the WBA, IBF and WBO champion who was ringside to witness his rival’s underwhelming display.

“It will be our next fight guaranteed,” Fury added. “I’m going to go home, take a long, hard rest and we’ll see what’s next.”

Anthony Joshua retained his IBF, IBO and WBA heavyweight titles with a 10th-round stoppage of Carlos Takam in Cardiff on this day in 2017.

Returning for the first time since his victory over Wladimir Klitschko, the then 28-year-old Joshua wore down his little-known French opponent – an injury replacement for Kubrat Pulev – with his advantage in size, muscle, speed and power to retain his undefeated record.

In front of a world-record indoor fight crowd of an estimated 76,000 inside the Principality Stadium, many thought Joshua would back up his famous win over Klitschko with another routine victory, but it was far from it as he was tested in one of his toughest fights to date.

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Joshua came into the fight over a stone heavier than Takam, weighing in at a career-heaviest 18st 2lb against his 16st 11lb opponent, and made much of his significant size advantage before he appeared to suffer a broken nose in the second round.

Joshua put Takam to the canvas in the fourth round and the latter was examined by the ringside doctor in the next after a significant cut appeared to open up by his left eye, an injury that would affect Takam throughout the fight.

The wound was looked at once again in the ninth round and the expected stoppage finally arrived after one minute and 34 seconds of round 10, but there were boos from the crowd, as many thought the fight was stopped too early.

Asked about the decision, Joshua said: “It was a good fight. I have no interest with what’s going on with the officials, that’s not my job.

“Unfortunately, the ref stopped it. I think people wanted to see Takam on the floor and I was getting there.”

Joshua went on to add the WBO belt with victory over Joseph Parker and successfully defend his titles against Alexander Povetkin before a shock loss to Andy Ruiz in June 2019 at Madison Square Garden.

Though he beat Ruiz in a rematch and followed up with a knockout of Pulev, back-to-back losses against Oleksandr Usyk left Joshua needing to rebuild his career at the top level.

Tyson Fury has no chance of losing to Francis Ngannou in the pair's exhibition fight this weekend.

That is according to former boxer turned promoter Oscar De La Hoya, who promised to quit his job if Ngannou pulls off a shock victory.

MMA fighter Ngannou, who has won 17 of his 20 professional fights, is making the move into boxing to face WBC heavyweight champion Fury in a lucrative exhibition bout in Saudi Arabia.

De La Hoya, though, is giving Ngannou little hope.

"As a boxing expert, as a fight expert, as a promoter now and as a boxing historian, if Ngannou beats Tyson Fury then I'll quit my job," De La Hoya told Stats Perform.

"And I love boxing, so I don't plan on quitting! 

"I think Tyson, inside a boxing ring, he's been in there with [Wladimir] Klitschko, he's been in there with [Deontay] Wilder, there's nothing that Ngannou can do to even make Tyson flinch. It's not going to be a good night for Ngannou."

Hall of Fame fighter De La Hoya is promoting Ryan Garcia, with whom he has had something of a complicated relationship. 

Garcia is going up against Oscar Duarte, and like his promoter, he does not see Ngannou having a chance against Fury, hitting out at the "crossover" fight.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to be disrespectful, but I don't see any reality where Ngannou wins," Garcia told Stats Perform.

"There's just no way. I'm a big fan of Fury and I think he's just an unbelievable fighter. He's beaten the best in boxing.

"I'm not going to think that a UFC guy is going to come in and beat him. It's just fun for the fans, man. 

"It's like these crossover TV shows where you get to watch your favourite cartoon being in another cartoon. That's all."

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