Heavyweight boxer Deontay Wilder told opponent Tyson Fury that his “life depends” on training hard for their fight next month – only for his video threat to be volleyed back in hilarious style by the giant Brit prankster.
Deluded Wilder has repeatedly warned Fury about the threat he poses in their trilogy fight – despite the fact that the ‘Gypsy King’ has far more to brag about after hammering him in a brutal seven-round victory when they met in February 2020.
The American is desperate to regain his title from the unbeaten Mancunian, and his macabre messages to unbeaten Fury have increasingly appeared to be an exercise in convincing himself that he is the more dangerous fighter.
“I’m going to be short, sweet and simple,” the ‘Bronze Bomber’ said in his latest announcement, sitting down to address the camera ahead of the bout on October 9.
Warning: video contains swearing
@Tyson_Fury HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH you absolute legend HAHAHAHA watched this back about 9 times and creased hahahahahahha pic.twitter.com/xmKPRut1dl
“This fight right here, you’d better be preparing for. You’d better train your butt off as if your life depends on it – because your life depends on it.”
Fury provided a head-on message to the camera of his own as he sat by the ropes on a boxing ring.
“I’m going to smash your f*cking face in, you pr*ck,” he solemnly declared, looking irritated rather than remotely alarmed by Wilder’s warning. “How about that for a f*cking message?”
Observers making a case for huge underdog Wilder to win believe that Fury’s greatest enemy could be complacency after a comprehensive victory in the previous fight in which he knocked his rival down seemingly at will and even appeared to lick blood from his battered torso at one point.
Wilder has produced a series of entertaining excuses for his bruising defeat, including a claim that his ringwalk costume was too heavy and accusations of glove-tampering and various other acts of skullduggery.
“You absolute legend,” one fan told Fury, laughing hysterically as they watched the video messages run one after the other. “Watched this back about nine times and creased.”
Notorious former Premier League hardman and Wales international Vinnie Jones told Fury: “Now that is a proper message. Well said, geezer.”
The man Fury had been due to face in one of the most lucrative fights of all time – fellow Brit Anthony Joshua – lost on points to Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday, dealing a further blow to the prospects of their scrap materializing after Wilder enforced a contract clause to ensure that Fury faced him first.
A 5/2 long shot for the third fight, Wilder knocked Fury down in their first encounter, which ended in a draw in December 2018.
The vice president of South America’s smallest independent country has been banned by FIFA’s continental governing body in the region for three years over bizarre video footage that went viral.
Two months into his tenure as the deputy head of state, 60-year-old Ronnie Brunswijk was seen becoming the oldest player to feature in an international club competition when he played for the club he owns, Inter Moengotapoe, last week.
The politician’s son, Damian Brunswijk, partnered him in attack, playing for less than half an hour while his father stayed on the pitch for 54 minutes.
Brunswijk Snr’s time participating in games run by the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), though, looks to have drawn to an abrupt end as a result of the heavily-viewed scenes at the Franklin Essed Stadium in the Surinamese capital of Paramaribo.
As well as his unlikely match appearance, Brunswijk was said to have been the shirtless man shown handing out what appeared to be cash in the locker room afterwards.
Even more curiously, the readies are said to have been dished out to members of the opposition Olimpia team, who hail from Honduras and beat Inter 6-0 in the league match.
“Having assessed the actions evidenced in the video and considered written statements provided by both clubs, the Committee has determined that serious breaches of integrity rules occurred after the match,” CONCACAF responded in a statement.
The Vice President of Suriname, Ronnie Brunswijk, captained his side in a CONCACAF League fixture against Olimpia last night
At the age of 60, he played up front alongside his own son Damian… unfortunately they lost 6-0 pic.twitter.com/dBg0cnLTEU
Sick of these insinuations Ronnie Brunswijk wasn’t picked on merit just because he’s 60 years old, owns the team and the stadium is named after him. You can’t argue with 14 passes completed from 17 attempts. https://t.co/77aFrTI7bnpic.twitter.com/BBSYwIkFaL
“As a consequence of these rule breaches, both clubs have been disqualified and removed from this year’s CONCACAF League with immediate effect.
“Additionally, the Committee has ruled that Mr Ronnie Brunswijk is banned for three years from participating in any capacity in CONCACAF competitions.”
Sports-loving Brunswijk, who wished Surinamese UFC fighter Jairzinho Rozenstruik good luck ahead of his defeat to Curtis Blaydes at UFC 266 on Saturday, said Olimpia had played “great football”.
Video was streamed tonight from Olimpia's locker room that appears to show Ronnie Brunswijk giving people in the locker room cash. He also leaves with an Olimpia shirt.pic.twitter.com/eQ1Vk928Bl
“I’ve been a football fan from an early age,” he wrote on Facebook after the match. “Soccer is my hobby.
“As long as I still feel fit, I will continue to play soccer for Inter Moengotapoe. Olimpia played a [good] game and rightly won 6-0.
“After good consultation with the manager, I rewarded the Honduran team. I have only given the reward out of gratitude to the players. I will continue to work for top sport.”
Olimpia are said to have returned the compliment by gifting Brunswijk a shirt.
A woman and her toddler son died on Saturday after falling six storeys from a concourse before a baseball game in San Diego, with horrified fans watching on and police treating their deaths as suspicious.
The pair were pronounced dead at exactly 4.11pm after they fell from the concourse of the San Diego Padres’ stadium, according to reports.
Lt Andra Brown, of the local police department, said that officers are yet to determine whether the fall was intentional or accidental, the San Diego Union-Tribune said.
The victims hailed from the same Californian city, and the child’s father had been at the stadium when the accident occurred, the force explained.
Reports say a 40-year old woman may have jumped off the 300 level at Petco Park while holding her 2 year old kid. Woman and child did not survive. pic.twitter.com/YWesglZaDw
“We are speaking to the father of the child. They are not married but we have the father of the child here and we are speaking with him,” Brown clarified via CBS 8 San Diego.
The names of the victims of the tragedy have not been released and witnesses are being encouraged to come forward with any information which could potentially “give the family some peace”.
“Our hearts obviously go out to the family, but also to the people who here could potentially be traumatized who saw this,” added Lt Brown.
OMG, just learning of the tragic death of a mom and her son at Petco Park tonight. Horrible story, just horrible. Thinking of all those impacted and sending strength their way – family, friends, witnesses, first responders, etc. Heartbreaking, just heartbreaking.
“It’s a horrible, horrible thing. That’s why we’re giving it a very serious look.”
Several onlookers were approached by the local newspaper but were said to be too shaken up to pass comment.
Others took to social media to share their feelings.
Thoughts and prayers go out to family involved in the tragedy at Petco Park. Meanwhile, the rest of the stadium is completely oblivious. The @Padres organization needs a reality check.
I'm just sitting in my seat crying. Wtf even matters right now on the field knowing what went down here. If anyone is at Petco and needs a hug I'm down. This is beyond devastating.
England and West Ham footballer Declan Rice has shown his approval after fans tattooed his name on their legs – but the move has received savage mockery from others.
Midfielder Rice formed a formidable partnership with Leeds United’s Kalvin Philips at Euro 2020, where the 22-year-old was one of the breakout stars as the Three Lions went all the way to the final.
Despite suffering heartbreak in the defeat at Wembley to Italy, two fanatics have decided to honor the exploits of the No4, who a string of top Premier League clubs are now keen to ink a deal with.
When he caught wind of the tribute, which is a continuation of a popular terrace chant that is based on 1995 dance hit ‘The Bomb!’ by The Bucketheads, Rice retweeted their post to his Twitter contingent of more than 311,000 followers.
“Beef chow mein, Declan Riceeee. Love it,” wrote the Londoner above two photos showing two thighs bearing those words, which form the lyrics to the unlikely anthem.
Sadly for the Rice devotees, not everyone matched their hero’s enthusiasm towards their tributes.
“Be honest: are you all ready regretting it?,” asked one onlooker. “You’ve had a shocker, mate.”
There was a pivotal moment where you looked at each other knowing the tat was utter Kak…. your eyes screaming to the other “ for the Love of God stop this “ but you decided to say
On July 8 – the morning after England beat Denmark 2-1 in the semifinals – producer Charlie Burley revealed that he had “drunkenly agreed to get a tattoo of beef chow mein with Declan Rice’s face on it”.
“It is happening this afternoon. F*ck my life,” he added.
True to his word, Burley went to his nearest studio and got the work done.
Okay I may have drunkenly agreed to get a tattoo of beef chow mein with Declan Rice’s face on it. It is happening this afternoon. FML #England#ThreeLions
Revealing that he had made the vow if England reached their first final since 1966 while “championing” the chow mein chant, Burley showed the design off days later.
And while England fell at the last hurdle, Rice enamored himself to fans again with his actions in Hungary earlier this month.
Rice picked up a cup thrown on to the pitch and drank from it after his team scored one of their goals in a 4-0 World Cup qualifying rout which saw some players receive racist abuse and the taking of the knee jeered among a hostile atmosphere.
I said if #England got to the #EURO2020 final I would get a #tattoo. After championing the Declan Rice chant for the past week, this was the clear winner!
England coach Gareth Southgate wasn’t blown away by Rice’s antics. “Declan is usually in most memes that get posted on social media in one way or another,” the boss said later.
Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi has celebrated Argentina’s dramatic win over Russia at the futsal World Cup, sending his countrymen a message in a selfie from his sofa.
The 34-year-old knows a thing or two about beating the five-time World Cup winners in recent history.
In July, he landed his country their first major football silverware in 28 years – which was also his maiden international triumph – when he captained them to a 1-0 win in the Copa America final at the Maracana in Rio.
And in leading Argentina to a 1-0 win at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium in 2017, seven months before the 2018 Russia World Cup, he also boasts a 100% record against Sbornaya.
One of the biggest clashes in #FutsalWC history has been set!
⚔️ It's the record champions against the reigning champions. It's Rodrigo, Pito, Ferrao and team-mates against Borruto, Brandi, Cuzzolino and Co. It's Brazil against Argentina in the Lithuania 2021 semi-finals! pic.twitter.com/qB7HRr0BrV
La Selección ya está en el Estadio Kaunas Arena, donde, a partir de las 12.30, jugará, ante Rusia, por los cuartos de final de la Copa Mundial de la @FIFAcom.
With the soccer club season in full swing now, Messi watched the weekend’s international between Argentina and Russia at the Futsal World Cup in Lithuania, sending the Ballon d’Or holder into fan mode.
Following a 1-1 draw, Messi celebrated their dramatic 5-4 penalty shootout win via an Instagram story with a caption that read “Let’s go” and an Argentine flag.
Messi’s photo, taken alongside wife Antonella and their three sons, also caused speculation about the number of mirrors he has in his lounge and the exact location in Paris of his new home.
Where exactly is Messi's TV and how many mirrors does he have? This is dizzying. pic.twitter.com/WBp7viH6c9
The clash between Russia and Argentina was a repeat of the 2016 final, which Messi’s compatriots also won.
The coach of that win, Diego Giustozzi, was there to cheer them on, watching captain Leandro Cuzzolino thunder in a left-footed shot before one of the tallest players at the competition, 6ft 1in Artem Antoshkin, scored past goalkeeper Nicolas Sarmiento to force spot kicks.
After making a number of outstanding saves in regular time, Sarmiento was the hero of the hour
“When I saved the penalty, many things came to my mind,” he later said. “Emotions, joy and much suffering, but above all an immense joy.
“When the legs can’t do it, you win with your heart. It is the most beautiful thing.”
Before the game against Manchester City, Lionel Messi is present at training and does not seem to be bothered by his left knee. #PSG@goalpic.twitter.com/6BeMbBs9xB
“It‘s a pity that such great teams had to meet as early as the quarterfinals,” rued Antoshkin. “In the first half, we were trying to find our game. In the second half, we had the initiative but missed our chances.
“We could have scored from the 10-meter mark and gone through. The team did well; no one can be blamed for this loss. We fought until the end.”
Messi has returned to training today following a knee knock that kept him out of PSG’s 2-1 win at Metz on Wednesday, as well as Saturday’s 2-0 victory at home to Montpellier.
Although video footage seemed to show him completing a drill without problems, he now faces a race against time to be fit for a Champions League clash of the titans on Tuesday when Manchester City visit the Parc des Princes.
Brazil and Argentina face off in the Futsal World Cup final four on Wednesday.
