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ANTHONY JOSHUA’s former coach has tipped him to upset Oleksandr Usyk in a trilogy fight – despite their apparent war of words.

Joshua’s reign as unified heavyweight champion came to an end at the hands of the undefeated Ukranian in September 2021 as he was outfoxed in their Tottenham tussle.

AJ failed to exact his revenge in their Riyadh rumble rematch 11 months later, suffering a second consecutive points defeat.

Anthony Joshua

A third fight could be on the cards should Usyk beat Tyson Fury and Joshua win the IBF title, which is expected to become vacant after next month’s eagerly-anticipated undisputed title fight.

And Robert Garcia – who failed to guide AJ to victory at the second time of asking against Usyk – can foresee the Watford warrior getting the job done the third time around.

In an interview with Boxing Social, Garcia said of AJ: “He is the second most-talented fighter in the [heavyweight] division.

Francis Ngannou is not letting the doubters get to him once again.

In a combat sports career and an overall life filled with overcoming the odds and proving people wrong, Ngannou is again staying supremely focused and confident.

Readying for his sophomore professional boxing bout by taking on generational great/ former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, ‘The Predator’ took to social media to show he sees what the haters are saying and frankly does not care.

Via his personal X account @francis_ngannou, Ngannou said:

FRANCIS NGANNOU has sensationally been backed by one of Anthony Joshua’s former sparring partners to win their fight.

Ngannou takes to the boxing ring for only the second time in March to face two-time heavyweight champion AJ.

It comes after he floored Tyson Fury in October, only to lose a controversial decision.

And Martin Bakole – who sparred with Fury before the fight after years of gym rounds with Joshua – fancies Ngannou’s chances.

Anthony Joshua

Bakole, 30, told iFL TV: “He [Fury] took Ngannou easy, not too serious.

“He thought he would stop him by round five but Ngannou took it serious and thought that if he stops Tyson Fury he will make a name for himself in boxing.

“To be honest, Joshua is going to be different because Joshua saw Ngannou was coming to box as well, he will take it serious.

“Ngannou as well is coming into it, wanting to make a name for himself in boxing, everyone is surprised after the Tyson Fury fight.

“He is a good man, he has got a good heart and he’s got everything up there, if he lands on Joshua, I think that he will stop him because this time he is taking it seriously as well and he will be working hard.”

Fury, 35, picked himself up from the canvas and a split-decision saw him keep his unification with Oleksandr Usyk, 36, alive on February 17.

Anthony Joshua went from dominant world champion to a shaky middling contender.

After suffering back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, Joshua (27-3, 24 KOs) attempted to shake things up in his camp. However, despite enlisting the help of a new coach and bagging wins over Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius, the now 34-year-old never looked sharp with Derrick James manning his corner.

Another change was needed as Joshua headed into his recent showdown against Otto Wallin. Some were bemused by his decision but Joshua was confident that both he and Ben Davison would gel well…he was right.

On December 23rd, there was nothing Wallin could do to trouble Joshua, leading to a quick fifth-round stoppage defeat. Even more so than Joshua, Eddie Hearn, his longtime promoter, may have been the happiest person in the arena.

anthony joshua

In the immediate, Joshua is going to face MMA veteran Francis Ngannou in March. However, while a win over Ngannou would be a solid one, Hearn is hoping to throw his man in the ring with Tyson Fury, who struggled in a split decision win over Ngannou last October.

By and large, Fury is considered a future Hall of Famer and the best heavyweight around. Superlatives aside, nevertheless, Hearn has all of the confidence in the world in Joshua getting it done if they matched up.

“I think he beats him all day long,” Hearn told Boxing Social.

Fury might be the only fighter on Joshua’s mind but the feeling isn’t mutual. In mid-February, Fury is set to go up against Usyk with all of the heavyweight marbles on the line.

In the past, Hearn has worked with Usyk and considers him an incredible fighter and a great man. With that said, he’s hoping that he doesn’t bring his A game and comes up short on the night.

“Hopefully Tyson can beat Usyk and we’ll be one step closer to that.”

Heavyweight title hopeful Martin Bakole has offered his prediction ahead of the recently announced crossover fight between Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou, where he believes that the fight will end inside the distance.

Ngannou shocked the world when he knocked down Tyson Fury in the third-round of a fight that was expected to be a one-sided win for the WBC champion, before losing a disputed split-decision.

Anthony Joshua

Now, the former UFC superstar has the opportunity to go one better and defeat Joshua, to put the world of boxing on notice, with their fight coming out of the blue and formally announced last week.

In an interview with iFL TV, Bakole shared his intrigue and excitement at the bout, pondering how Ngannou will fare against an opponent who takes him more seriously, and predicting an upset.

Joshua-Ngannou will take place on March 8th in Riyadh, whilst Bakole has announced his ambitions to challenge Manuel Charr for the WBA Regular heavyweight title, as he continues to pursue world honours.

Tiger Woods’ son Charlie appeared to imitate one of his father’s most iconic moments as he sunk a stunning chip for birdie at the PNC Championship. The 14-year-old’s performance throughout the tournament was praised by many, and he even evoked memories of Woods’ stunning chip at the 2005 Masters

On the final day of the PNC Championship, Charlie amazed those in attendance with a delicate chip on the ninth hole. With his ball just outside the green, the younger Woods chipped the ball which slowly creeped its way into the hole.

After sinking the incredible shot, Charlie pointed to the sky and pumped his fist in excitement, yelling “Come on” as he made his way around the green when the ball dropped into the hole. Woods had an immense smile etched across his face as he clapped while beaming with pride.

Naturally, the moment had some similarities to perhaps the most iconic shot of Woods’ career: his chip on the 16th hole at August on championship Sunday. He went on to defeat Chris DiMarco to claim the fourth of his five Masters titles

Woods stuck to tradition and wore his signature red shirt as it was the final day of the competition while son Charlie donned a purple jumper. However, the pair finished the PNC Championship tied for fifth place with Teams Lehman, Cink, Kuchar and Daly at -19.

Heading into Sunday, the duo were tied for 11th and their commendable showing on the final day helped propel them into a more respectable final position. Team Langer, featuring two-time Masters champion Bernhard and son Jason, won the tournament with a score of -25.

Team Woods played well on the first day of the two-day tournament – with Charlie hitting fairway after fairway. He continued to dominate off the tee and didn’t miss a fairway on Sunday.

Woods, whose daughter Sam caddied for her father on Saturday, was thrilled with his son’s play. After seeing Charlie hit another impressive shot, he said: “The ending on that right there, that was nasty. F****** nasty.”

Woods has outlined his intention to play ‘once a month’ on tour in 2024, reiterating his target after completing 72 holes in his comeback at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas last month. Speaking to reporters about his planned schedule, Woods said: “I think that if you asked me right now I’m a little sore, but once a month seems reasonable.

“Having a couple of weeks off to recover, a week to build up, there’s no reason why I can’t get into a rhythm. It’s just a matter of getting in better shape basically. I feel like my game’s not that far off, but I need to get in better shape.”

Tiger Woods and his daughter are hitting the links!

During the PNC Championship’s Pro-Am in Orlando over the weekend of Dec. 16, the golf pro was joined not only by his son, Charlie, who played alongside his dad, but his 16-year-old daughter, Sam, who served as his caddy for the first time.

From driving her dad around in a golf cart, to mirroring his stance — to a “tee” — on the course, these are some of the sweetest moments Sam and Tiger shared this weekend.

For the first day of the tournament, Dad went for a pink polo shirt while his daughter wore an official top from the event with their name “Woods” printed across the back.

As dad got into his golf stance, Sam handled Tiger’s well-known tiger club cover — a version of which he has been using for decades.

Tiger Woods

Sam took a seat behind the wheel of a golf cart on Saturday to drive dad her dad around the fifth hole during the first round of the Championship.
During Sunday’s event, Sam and her dad stood looking over the course in an identical pose with their hands on their hips. (Father and son do the same all the time!)

The tournament was truly a family affair! In addition to Sam working as a caddy, her brother, Charlie, played alongside Tiger, as he’s done in the past.

And while the weekend did not end with a win for the Woods trio, at the 14th hole of the final round of the tournament, Tiger and Sam fist-bumped each other to mark a weekend well spent!

Tiger Woods announced on Monday, January 8, the end of his sponsorship contract with Nike. The end of the iconic relationship has raised numerous questions among fans about Woods’ likely future, but also about that of his son Charlie.

At 14 years of age, Charlie Woods is already taking his first steps in golf with good results. This, coupled with his obvious relationship with his father Tiger Woods, makes Charlie an option for potential sponsors to consider.

There is no rumor associated with the possible signing of Charlie Woods with Nike, neither before Tiger Woods left the brand, nor now. A few weeks ago, reports emerged that Charlie had signed a sponsorship contract with Greyson Clothiers, but this has not been officially confirmed.

Greyson Clothiers is a golf clothing and apparel brand that, among other athletes, sponsors Justin Thomas. Charlie Woods played one of the rounds of the 2023 PNC Championship wearing a sweater with the company’s branding visible.

tiger woods and chalie woods

That same day, former National Football League (NFL) star Larry Fitzgerald, who is also sponsored by Greyson Clothiers, posted on Instagram a “welcome back” to Tiger Woods’ son. The brand’s official account reposted Fitzgerald’s post but later deleted it.

These instances, coupled with the rumor (now confirmed) that Tiger Woods would leave Nike, led some to think that Charlie could be sponsored by Greyson Clothiers. But the truth is that there is no confirmation of this or any other sponsor working with Charlie Woods.

The year 2024 has already begun. But, the staunch performances of top global athletes in 2023 are lucid in everyone’s memories. Awards, accolades, and recognition are making their way before another season of achievements starts in the Olympic year. As one turns to the gymnastics realm, who can shine brighter than the GOAT Simone Biles?

The 6x all-around world champion made her highly anticipated comeback in 2023 and took the world by storm immediately. However, Simone Biles returned to active competition in August, which didn’t leave her a lot of time in the year. Now, she is competing against the stalwarts of other sports for a major award.

Time to wait for the people’s verdict

People’s Choice recently added a tweet to its official X account, naming several top athletes for its annual honor. The tweet carried the caption, “Which one of these nominees performed at the highest level this year?! Vote now for the Athlete of the Year! #PCAs. http://bit.ly/3RVntT6 @CocoGauff @giannis_an34 @kingjames Lionel Messi @sabrina_i20 @simone_biles @stephencurry30 @tkelce”

Simone Biles

The name of Simone Biles was also included in the list alongside the best sportspersons who didn’t just dominate 2023, but are perennial superstars. Although Simone Biles is the greatest gymnast in the world right now, her comeback occurred quite late in the year.

Moreover, the off-season of gymnastics began soon after she stood on top of the world in Antwerp. But, although she couldn’t participate in a lot of contests, she did ace every contest she participated in. Right from the US Classic, Simone Biles never made it seem like she was making a comeback. In fact, anyone who watched her routines couldn’t believe she ever left. However, the other athletes on the list are not far behind.

How does Simone Biles fare against other athletes?

Simone Biles won four gold medals at the 2023 Artistic Gymnastics Championship to extend her already massive world championship count to 30. She also exalted her gold medal records in beam balance and floor exercises. Interestingly, the other gymnasts have barely won just half the number of world titles as her. The highlight moment of her comeback came when she got a move named after her in Belgium.

While her achievements are nothing short of epic, other athletes also earned their way on the list. Lionel Messi won the FIFA World Cup alongside his home team Argentina against the defending champs, France. American tennis star Coco Gauff won her first Grand Slam this year after continuously climbing up the ranks of WTA.

Several NBA players also made it to the list. LeBron ‘King’ James of the LA Lakers, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks were the top stars on this list. Barring 2023 and 2019, these three men and their teams have been winning the NBA championship since 2015, with Curry in the lead with four title wins. Do you think Simone Biles will be able to win the 2023 People’s Choice award with such strong competition?

Coco Gauff has been nominated for the Athlete of the Year award at the People’s Choice Awards, an award that honors the year’s best athlete.

The 19-year-old had an excellent 2023, winning four titles, including her first Grand Slam at the US Open and also her first WTA 1000 at the Cincinnati Masters. She also clinched titles at the Washington Open and Aukland Open.

Gauff has been nominated alongside several exceptional sportspersons. This includes football legend Lionel Messi, gymnast Simone Biles, basketball stars Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Sabrina Ionescu, and Stephen Curry, and NFL star Travis Kelce.

Gauff was delighted by the nomination and shared her gratitude via an Instagram Story.

The winner of the Athlete of the Year award will be decided by public votes. The ceremony will take place on February 18 and will be shown live on NBC and E!, and streamed on Peacock