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Tyson Fury insists he felt no disappointment at all when he lost the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world to Oleksandr Usyk in May.

But he was sad as he watched Anthony Joshua being crushed by Daniel Dubois last month.

“I feel sorry for him at the minute, being cleaned out in the last fight in five rounds, so he’ll have to do that again – or not – and then decide his future. I’ve said after every [Anthony Joshua] loss I’ve felt deflated.

“When an adversary loses, and it’s not to you, you do feel down and depressed about it. I felt sad for him. It was sad to see a worthy opponent lose his crown.”

But Fury versus Joshua is a super fight that British boxing fans would like to see, before it’s too late, and Fury says he’s up for it.

Anthony Joshua after being knocked down by Daniel Dubois. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Anthony Joshua after being knocked down by Daniel Dubois in September. Pic: Reuters

“I’d still fight him whether he’s got five losses, 10 losses or 20. It’s not important because, at this stage of our careers, it’s about having good fights. I think it would still be an interesting fight for the paying pundit.”

Tyson Fury during sit down with Jacquie Beltrao ahead of Dec 21 2024 fight with Usyk

Fury says that when he faces Usyk for the second time on 21 December in Riyadh for three of the four belts, he is changing nothing except the result.

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‘B******s that comes with boxing’

“I do exactly the same thing, but don’t get a standing count in round nine and I’ve won the fight comfortably. Yeah, I’m gonna change not getting a knockdown.”

Fury jokes that it feels horrible to be the challenger and not the champion. “It’s really not important to me honestly. All the glitz and glamour… it’s all the b******s that comes with boxing. I’m here to do a job, get a pay cheque and go home.”

For this second fight, the element of surprise on either side has gone. They both have a fairly good idea of what the other can do. But was he impressed with how hard Usyk came back at him in that first meeting?

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Usyk triumphed over Tyson Fury in May

‘He’s gonna have to pay’

“I wasn’t impressed because he’s a boxer and that’s what he’s paid to do. He did his job and got a very small razor edge win, but as I’ve always said… winning by an inch or a mile is still winning.”

“He actually put the rematch back, I was really looking forward to having a good build-up to Halloween, bonfire night, Christmas and New Year. But he’s f***** all that up for me, so now I’ll only get three days of Christmas. He’s gonna have to pay for that!”

Tyson Fury and Jacquie Beltrao during sit down ahead of Dec 21 2024 fight with Usyk
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Fury talks money, and buying socks, with Jacquie Beltrao

Fury is already thinking of what happens next and it’s not a fight with Dubois, the new IBF champion, or Joshua. Instead he’d prefer another head-to-head with the Ukrainian.

Despite claiming he’s not bothered by history, the titles, or anything much outside the actual boxing, another fight with Usyk would have significance. It would give him a unique place in the history of the sport.

“I’d rather have a trilogy with Usyk, and then it would be 1-1, and I’d be the only heavyweight in history to have three trilogies. That would be quite impressive.”

The emergence of Saudi Arabia as a boxing world capital in the last few years has changed the landscape of the sport. The money on offer far exceeds what they’d normally expect to get in the UK.

Money is a ‘turn-on’

Fury doesn’t need the money and barely spends it. But he admits it gives him a thrill. “It’s just the excitement of earning it, it’s a turn-on. But when you’ve got it, it’s like ‘aaahhhh’… on to the next one now.

“I didn’t need an Usyk fight to go and buy what I want. I could do that at any given moment in the last 10 years. I’ve not bought one thing not even a pair of trainers, nothing. They were free… I did recently buy myself some new socks, only because they were on offer!”

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So Fury doesn’t need the money, the kudos of the victory, the hoopla around the sport. He would have us believe that none of it matters.

So why at 36, does he still do it?

“I love it. I love the thrill of the fight. I love the boxing, I like the training, it keeps me fit and out of trouble and on a straight and narrow path.”

Usyk vs Fury 2 is on Sky Sports Box Office on December 21.

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Police search for missing sisters last seen three days ago near Aberdeen river

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Police search for missing sisters last seen three days ago near Aberdeen river

Specialist search teams, police dogs and divers have been dispatched to find two sisters who vanished in Aberdeen three days ago.

Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV in the city’s Market Street at Victoria Bridge at about 2.12am on Tuesday.

The siblings were captured crossing the bridge and turning right onto a footpath next to the River Dee in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club.

Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Image:
Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland

Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Image:
Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland

Police Scotland has launched a major search and said it is carrying out “extensive inquires” in an effort to find the women.

Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Local officers, led by specialist search advisors, are being assisted by resources including police dogs and our marine unit.”

Aberdeenshire Drone Services told Sky News it has offered to help in the search and is waiting to hear back from Police Scotland.

The Huszti sisters. Pic: Police Scotland
Image:
CCTV of the sisters. Pic: Police Scotland

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The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.

Police said the Torry side of Victoria Bridge where the sisters were last seen contains many commercial and industrial units, with searches taking place in the vicinity.

The force urged businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review CCTV footage recorded in the early hours of Tuesday in case it captured anything of significance.

Drivers with relevant dashcam footage are also urged to come forward.

CI Bruce added: “We are continuing to speak to people who know Eliza and Henrietta and we urge anyone who has seen them or who has any information regarding their whereabouts to please contact 101.”

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Britain’s gas storage levels ‘concerningly low’ after cold snap, says owner of British Gas

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Britain's gas storage levels 'concerningly low' after cold snap, says owner of British Gas

Britain’s gas storage levels are “concerningly low” with less than a week of demand in store, the operator of the country’s largest gas storage site said on Friday.

Plunging temperatures and high demand for gas-fired power stations are the main factors behind the low levels, Centrica said.

The UK is heavily reliant on gas for its home heating and also uses a significant amount for electricity generation.

As of the 9th of January 2025, UK storage sites are 26% lower than last year’s inventory at the same time, leaving them around half full,” Centrica said.

“This means the UK has less than a week of gas demand in store.”

The firm’s Rough gas storage site, a depleted field off England’s east coast, makes up around half of the country’s gas storage capacity.

Gas storage was already lower than usual heading into December as a result of the early onset of winter.

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Combined with stubbornly high gas prices, this has meant it has been more difficult to top up storage over Christmas.

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UK’s first taxpayer-funded injection room to open in radical move to tackle drugs epidemic

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UK's first taxpayer-funded injection room to open in radical move to tackle drugs epidemic

Glasgow has been a city crying out for solutions to a devastating drugs epidemic that is ravaging people hooked on deadly narcotics. 

We have spent time with vulnerable addicts in recent months and witnessed first-hand the dirty, dangerous street corners and back alleys where they would inject their £10 heroin hit, not knowing – or, in many cases, not caring – whether that would be the moment they die.

“Dying would be better than this life,” one man told me.

It was a grim insight into the daily reality of life in the capital of Europe’s drug death crisis.

Scotland has a stubborn addiction to substances spanning generations. Politicians of all persuasions have failed to properly get a grip of the emergency.

But there is a new concept in town.

From Monday, a taxpayer-funded unit is allowing addicts to bring their own heroin and cocaine and inject it while NHS medical teams supervise.

A dirty needle thrown less than 100 metres from the new injection centre
Image:
A dirty needle thrown less than 100 metres from the new injection centre

It may be a UK-first but it is a regular feature in some other major European cities that have claimed high success rates in saving lives.

Glasgow has looked on with envy at these other models.

One supermarket car park less than a hundred metres from this new facility is a perfect illustration of the problem. An area littered with dirty needles and paraphernalia. A minefield where one wrong step risks contracting a nasty disease.

Drugs paraphernalia in a supermarket car park in Glasgow, near the new facility
Image:
Drugs paraphernalia in a supermarket car park in Glasgow, near the new facility

It is estimated hundreds of users inject heroin in public places in Glasgow every week. HIV has been rife.

The new building, which will be open from 9am until 9pm 365 days a year, includes bays where clean needles are provided as part of a persuasive tactic to lure addicts indoors in a controlled environment.

There is a welcome area where people will check in before being invited into one of eight bays. The room is clinical, covered in mirrors, with a row of small medical bins.

Clean needles are provided to lure addicts to inject in a controlled environment
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Clean needles are provided to lure addicts to inject in a controlled environment

One of the eight bays users can inject in
Image:
There are eight bays users can inject in

We were shown the aftercare area where users will relax after their hit in the company of housing and social workers.

The idea is controversial and not cheap – £2.3m has been ring-fenced every year.

The aftercare area
Image:
The aftercare area

Read more: ‘Dying would be better than my £1,000 a month heroin addiction’

Authorities in the city first floated a ‘safer drug consumption room’ in 2016. It failed to get off the ground as the UK Home Office under the Conservatives said they would not allow people to break the law to feed habits.

The usual wrangle between Edinburgh and London continued for years with Downing Street suggesting Scotland could, if it wanted, use its discretion to allow these injecting rooms to go ahead.

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The stalemate ended when Scotland’s most senior prosecutor issued a landmark decision that it would not be in the public interest to arrest those using such a facility.

One expert has told me this new concept is unlikely to lead to an overall reduction in deaths across Scotland. Another described it as an expensive vanity project. Supporters clearly disagree.

The question is what does success look like?

The big test will be if there is a spike in crime around the building and how it will work alongside law enforcement given drug dealers know exactly where to find their clients now.

It is not disputed this is a radical approach – and other cities across Britain will be watching closely.

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