The boxing world might still be abuzz from the fallout of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua’s heavyweight unification collapsing but that isn’t all that’s happened in the world of boxing this week. From more crossover fights to dodgy DMs, here are five stories that might have gone under the radar...
Cris Cyborg Willing To Fight Katie Taylor Next Year
Bellator MMA star Cris Cyborg says she would be willing to meet with Katie Taylor inside a boxing ring but the fight must wait until next year.
Cyborg has been linked by her promoter with a cross-codes clash against undisputed lightweight champion Taylor but the 35-year-old Brazilian says she would need to prepare first.
"[Bellator president] Scott Coker said maybe we do one boxing fight and one MMA fight," Cyborg told Sky Sports.
“If I have time to train for boxing, I will have no problem. I love challenges.
"I know Taylor is skilled, I know how good she is.
"For a boxing fight I would need time to focus just on boxing. So I don't think it will be this year because I have a lot of MMA fights. Next year? Maybe."
Tommy Fury Hits Back At Jake Paul Over Molly-Mae DMs
The war of words between Tommy Fury and YouTuber Jake paul doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon.
Last week, Paul shared a screenshot of a supposed DM from Fury’s girlfriend and fellow former Love Island contestant Molly-Mae Hague that has since been proven to be fake. Fury, however, is refusing to let ‘the Problem Child’ get under his skin.
“We all know that wasn’t true. That’s the kind of person Jake Paul is, he tries to come out with all these things," Fury told talkSPORT.
“He’s got his team in the back working on fake DMs, saying ‘let’s do this and let’s do that’.
“If he’d checked his stuff and was that good he’d have understood the white heart [emoji] wasn’t approved until 2019 and the DM was supposed to be sent in 2018.
“So he can’t be very good at his job. That’s the type of person he is but it doesn’t matter to me.
“Fake news is fake news. He’s a fake person who fights NBA fighters. So he’s just fake all round and he’s not going to get under my skin.”
Chris Eubank Jr vs Demetrius Andrade For WBO Middleweight Title?
Eddie Hearn says he has made an offer to promoter Kalle Sauerland for his fighter Chris Eubank Jr to challenge WBO middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade for the title.
“I want to see Eubank Jr fight, Demetrius Andrade, that’s what I want,” said Eddie Hearn to iFL TV. “While we’re looking for that big fight for Demetrius, Eubank, a good name, a good fighter, a good test, a good profile.
“I think that fight [Andrade vs. Eubank Jr] does really, really well in the UK or Europe. I’ve reached out and made Kalle Sauerland an offer for that fight, and he’s very interested. So we’ll see where it goes.”
Eubank Jr was last in action at the beginning of May, beating Marcus Morrison over ten rounds, whilst Andrade's last outing saw him outscore his mandatory, Liam Williams, in April.
Team Fury Have No Interest In AJ Fight, Blasts Hearn
Elsewhere, promoter Hearn has blasted Tyson Fury's team for making "zero attempt" to revive the undisputed world heavyweight title fight against Anthony Joshua.
“The answer to your question is, Team Fury made absolutely zero attempt to try and save the Anthony Joshua fight. Zero attempt,” he told iFL TV.
“I don’t believe there was even a conversation, I don’t believe there was an offer, I don’t believe anything.
“This is another reason why the whole thing stinks. Bob Arum is aware of the work that has gone in to make this fight.
“And to just call up and say, ‘I can’t believe it, it’s preposterous...and we’re just going to go ahead with the Wilder fight, so cheers mate, thanks for everything and we’ll catch up soon’.
“If this was me in that case, I would have done absolutely everything I could to save this fight, they didn’t try one thing.”
Teofimo Lopez Would Take Josh Taylor Fight But Not In UK
Teofimo Lopez says he would be willing to step up from lightweight to take on the newly-crowned undisputed light-welterweight champion Josh Taylor, but it won’t be in the UK due to “favouritism.”
At the weekend, Taylor beat Jose Ramirez in Las Vegas to become the first British fighter in the four-belt era to be recognised by all four world governing bodies, cementing his place as one of the finest boxers on the planet and leaving him with an array of excellent opportunities, including a potential bout with unified lightweight champion Lopez.
"I won't take that fight in the UK,” Lopez told The Mirror
"Not because I don't believe I would beat him in the UK, it's just that I can see how much of the animosity there is from folks caring that I'm 'not undisputed' at 135, so I could just see the favouritism over there.
"That fight will be somewhere over here, but at the end of the day I'm slowly becoming a cash cow in this division and these guys can make a better paycheque fighting me where I choose.
"I do eventually want to fight in the UK, however, I don't want to five anybody the upper hand over me, I've done that numerous times so the whole thing now is about playing my cards right.”
