Big blow for boxing fans as Tyson Fury dismisses future fight with Anthony Joshua

There was big news in the boxing world last month when an undisputed heavyweight title fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk was confirmed to finally take place.

The exact details for that blockbuster bout are yet to be made public as Fury prepared to take on former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in a 10-round, officially recognised matchup in Saudi Arabia on October 28.

However, the Gypsy King has suggested that he will be ready to trade blows with the Ukrainian two-weight world champion on December 23, despite that giving him less than two months to properly prepare for the bout.

Whenever and wherever it takes place, Fury vs Usyk is a fight with huge appeal. Both men will put their unbeaten records on the line in a bid to be crowned the king of the Blue Riband division, and it will be massive for the sport of boxing in its current state.

The boxing betting odds for Fury vs Usyk are in the Gypsy King’s favour as well, with the bookmakers making the Briton the heavy odds-on favourite at 2/5. His opponent, who currently holds the WBA, IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring titles, is 7/4, while the draw is 14/1.

If the bookies have priced the fight correctly, and Fury does come out on top to unify the heavyweight division and extend his professional record to 35-1-0, then boxing fans had hoped the 35-year-old would move immediately on to another blockbuster encounter – against Anthony Joshua.

‘AJ’ suffered the second and third defeats of his career at the hands of Usyk, arguably tarnishing his status as one of the greatest heavyweights. However, Joshua isn’t giving up yet and is set to return to the ring to face Fury’s old opponent Deontay Wilder.

Joshua claimed at the United States Grand Prix in Austin that his fight against Wilder could take place on the undercard of Fury vs Usyk, which would make it an immense night of boxing. But, the Gypsy King ruled out the possibility of that happening and branded Joshua ‘embarrassing’ for suggesting it.

The mega-card not happening isn’t the only big blow Fury dealt boxing fans in the build-up to his fight with Ngannou, however. The Gypsy King also ruled out a future bout with Joshua, telling Sky Sports that both ‘AJ’ and Wilder are ‘out in the cold.’

“They’re both out in the cold and they’re both frozen so it doesn’t really matter,” he said when quizzed about facing the winner of the matchup.

While nobody would be bothered if Fury never faced Wilder again, given that the 35-year-old dominated their trilogy, it would be a crying shame should an all-British bout between the Gypsy King and Joshua never take place before the end of their respective careers.

A possible future fight for AJ could be Ngannou, with the Cameroonian claiming he would like to face Joshua after a second bout with Fury.

“I think we’re going to run it back for sure first, then maybe see Anthony Joshua,” he told Sky Sports.

 

Which is the longest recorded tennis match in history?

The sudden-death tie break to end prolonged sets and matches was first advocated by the Van Alen Streamlined Scoring System, developed by James ‘Jimmy’ Van Alen in 1958. The tie break was finally introduced in 1970, partly in response to a match between Pancho Gonzales and Charlie Pasarell at the Wimbledon Championships the previous year, which had required a total of 112 games – at the time, the highest number of games played in a singles match – to complete. However, at the time of the longest recorded tennis match in history, also played at the Wimbledon Championships, in 2010, the tie break did not apply to the fifth set.

The so-called ‘endless match’ between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut started uneventfully enough, with the players completing the first four sets, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, in a little under three hours before play was suspended due to fading light. Play resumed the following afternoon and continued for the next seven hours until it was suspended again, for the same reason, with the players tied 59-59 in the final set. Play resumed again the following afternoon and, in just over an hour, Isner finally prevailed 70-68 in the final set, which had last 8 hours and 11 minutes in total. All told, the match lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes and involved 183 games, making it far and away the longest record tennis match in history, in terms of elapsed time and the number of games played.

How are snooker balls made?

Modern, high quality snooker balls are made from phenolic resin, a synthetic polymer formed by the reaction of phenol, a.k.a. carbolic acid, an aromatic organic compound derived from benzene, and formaldehyde, a colourless, but highly reactive, gas derived from methane. Phenolic resin is a strong, durable material, offering high abrasion impact and shearing resistance, and can easily be polished to the required lustre. Snooker balls are made by pouring liquid phenolic resin, pre-coloured at the production stage, into moulds without the application of pressure – or, in other words, by casting – followed by thermal curing, at temperatures up to 180°C, to stabilise the material and polishing.

The standard diameter of a snooker ball is 2.07″ and high-end grade snooker balls are manufactured within a tolerance of +/- 0.003″, which is less than than the +/- 0.002″ specified in Section 1, 2(b) of ‘The Official Rules of the Games of Snooker and English Billiards’. Furthermore, the tolerance of roundness, or sphericity, which determines balance and rolling characteristics, of such balls is just +/- 0.0012″. Inevitably, snooker balls vary in weight, albeit only slightly, such that a maximum tolerance of 0.11oz, between the heaviest and lightest ball in a set is permitted. Again, high-end grade snooker balls are matched into sets with a maximum tolerance of 0.04oz per set.

Biggest Surprises Of The Rugby World Cup So Far

The Rugby World Cup enters a pivotal stage this weekend, as the race for a place in the semi-finals heats up. The best eight teams on the planet will compete across the quarterfinals in France, with the hopes of some of the main contenders hanging in the balance.

However, who have been some of the shock standout players at the Rugby World Cup to this point that could play a huge part in a potential success for their nation in Europe?

Nicolas Martins

One star that certainly caught the imagination at the World Cup, despite his nation crashing out in the opening round was Nicolas Martins. Portugal was given the welcome home of champions after landing a first-ever victory at the competition in their final Pool stage match against Fiji.

Their standout star throughout the tournament was Nicolas Jackson. Martins played in four matches at the Rugby World Cup this year, scoring his first ever try and recording five points. He was a standout player despite defeat against Wales, and completed 29 passes, five offloads, and four clean breaks for Portugal.

Ben Earl

There wasn’t much confidence surrounding England’s chances at the Rugby World Cup following a disappointing performance in the Six Nations earlier in the year. However, one of the team’s standout players has been a star that played a bit-part throughout the Six Nations. If anything, it could be argued that Ben Earl is now among the first names’ on the teamsheet for Steve Borthwick.

Earl has quickly made his own place in the England team, and has been a key part of the defence throughout the tournament. The player has made 20 carries, and has made 157 metres. In total, Earl has made 44 tackles so far at the World Cup, and he has made just three handling errors.

Nick Tompkins

It has been an excellent start to the World Cup for Wales, as disappointments over the last 18 months have been quickly put in the rear-view mirror. A standout player for Warren Gatland’s side to this point has been centre Nick Tompkins. The 28-year-old has played in three of the nation’s matches at the World Cup to this point, and has scored five points.

The centre has contributed five points for his side, and has made 16 carries and 37 tackles. He boasts a tackle success rate of 77%, and has run passed opposing players on six occasions. Tompkins will continue to a vitally important player for Wales as the tournament progresses. Therefore, if you play fantasy rugby you can definitely think about Tompkins as a card to invest. Click here to learn more about fantasy rugby: https://www.oval3.game/

Tadhg Beirne

Ireland started the Rugby World Cup among the favourites to win the competition after their dominant Grand Slam success in the Six Nations earlier this year. They looked every bit like a potential champion in the pool stage as they finished top of the standings ahead of South Africa and Scotland. Tadhg Beirne looks to be one of their most important players, as the lock has now scored 50 points for his nation across 48 matches for Ireland.

Beirne has played in four matches at the Rugby World Cup this year, and he has already scored 15 points for the Irish, made up of three tries. All of the tries that he has scored this year have contributed to his overall tally at the Rugby World Cup. He has made 110 metres across the matches that he has played, completing 19 passes and making 39 tackles. His continued form will be a key factor behind Ireland’s chances of going deeper in the World Cup.

Waisea Nayacalevu

Fiji produced one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history by eliminating Australia in the pool stage for the first time ever. They have quickly become one of the most entertaining teams to watch at the tournament in France, and one of their standout players has been Waisea Nayacalevu.

The centre from Navua has played 37 times for his nations, and has scored 75 points. The 33-year-old has played four matches at the World Cup this year, and has scored two tries to record ten points for his nation. Nayacalevu has completed 26 carries, and has travelled 163 metres. He looks set to be an important player if Fiji are to end their wait for a semi-final appearance in the tournament.

Jac Morgan

Jac Morgan has been one of the standout younger players at the Rugby World Cup this year. The 23-year-old Welsh flanker had made just eleven appearances for Wales before the start of the tournament in France, but he has quickly become a key player of Warren Gatland’s side.

At the World Cup, he has played three times in 2023, scoring two tries to accumulate ten points for the nation. The flanker has an 80% tackle success rate, and has made 12 carries and travelled 71 metres for Wales.

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