BARCELONA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 28, 2023--

By Philip Blenkinsop BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The euro zone economy was in a technical recession in the first three months of

Coupang Inc., the online retailer popular in South Korea for dawn and one-day delivery, posted its fourth straight

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It’s a joyous circus. This Saturday in Saudi Arabia, the first trick will be the ring emerging from a 26-foot hole in the ground, and then the real magic will start. Tyson Fury, the unbeaten heavyweight champion of the world, will then appear inside a giant neon beam and, wearing a crown, he will bow to the crowd and the dignitaries. In the opposite corner, as the magic continues, will be Francis Ngannou, a man who has never once fought a boxing match, and under this giant canopy of created rivalry, one of the biggest fights in history will take place. If that is not a “Hey, presto” moment, then I don’t know what is! In front of 20,000 people, including a dozen former heavyweight world champions, and some of the wealthiest men on Earth, the best heavyweight in the boxing world will fight the best heavyweight in the MMA world to see who is the Baddest Man on the Planet. It is a genius, simple and lunatic idea. It is not the first and it will not be the last circus fight involving a legitimate heavyweight boxer. Muhammad Ali had a 15-round bore fest with a wrestler called Antonio Inoki, Rocky Balboa met Hulk Hogan, Chuck Wepner fought Andre the Giant, and Two-Ton Tony Galento knocked out an octopus. I need to point out that the octopus was actually deceased before the first bell. Fury also has a massive advantage in his fight, which will be conducted under the rules of the British Boxing Board of Control, because kicks, chokeholds, headbutts, flying elbows and knees to the head will be banned. In short, Ngannou has had all his tools withdrawn. However, Ngannou has been trained by Mike Tyson, had a crash course in boxing’s darkest arts by the dirtiest fighter in the world, and his punch has been registered as the hardest in history. The science is available to prove just how lethal Ngannou’s right hand is, but even I draw the line somewhere. Fury is a genuine boxing giant and will tower over Ngannou once the anthems, introductions and pleasantries have been conducted by Michael Buffer, the suave voice of boxing. Ngannou will, trust me, shrink once he takes up a traditional boxing pose and his stated height of 6ft 4in will be in the permanent shadow of Fury. And then the beating will start; Fury is a truly vicious man inside the ropes. There are stupid claims that Ngannou has a “puncher’s chance”, which is like saying that any car, on any street, driven by anybody, could have won the F1 in Texas last weekend. Ngannou has no chance of winning and that is fine, but this is still a real fight, it’s just not a competitive one. It is an event and, as I said, we have had hundreds of sanctioned fights like this. The lovers and believers in the MMA dream will be praying to the fighting lords for a miracle; they are both delusional and out of luck. In 2000, Mike Tyson knocked out British heavyweight Julius Francis and the promoter, Frank Warren – who is also promoting the fight on Saturday – spent two months telling people: “This is not a fight, it is an event.” Warren was right and it was a great event. Francis, incidentally, sold the advertising space on the soles of his shoes to a national paper to make a few extra quid. The paper got a bargain. Fury will hold court in a country where the ruling elite know how to hold court. He will be draped in traditional clothing, sip tea from gold urns, have giant kestrels rest on his giant fists and bow respectfully each time he is honoured. It will be a fun circus and Ngannou, with the other Tyson in his face, will prepare like Rocky did in the first movie. It will be a wonderful carnival. There is bold talk of a rematch with Ngannou under MMA rules and that will never happen. On Saturday night, as Mike Tyson tends to Ngannou’s blood-stained face, there will be a cameo in the ring by Oleksandr Usyk, the other heavyweight champion, and a new carnival will start for Fury vs Usyk. What a business. Read More Fury vs Ngannou pay-per-view price revealed ahead of controversial fight Oleksandr Usyk predicts Joshua vs Wilder and makes Tyson Fury revelation Anthony Joshua admits to watching Tyson Fury’s Netflix show: ‘I’m enjoying it’ Anthony Joshua admits to watching Tyson Fury’s Netflix show Tyson Fury’s wife shares impact of boxing on their children: ‘I worry to this day’ Oleksandr Usyk predicts Joshua vs Wilder and makes Tyson Fury revelation

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By Jack Queen (Reuters) -Donald Trump is likely to claim that his right to free speech and genuine concerns about

Lexicographer Susie Dent has destroyed Rishi Sunak in the most subtle way with her “word of the day”. Dent is an expert on all things words, having appeared on the TV word-based game show Countdown since 1992. Dent is known for referencing the news and particularly politics with her daily word posts on Twitter and today, prime minister Sunak appears to be her target. Sunak has made headlines recently by very quickly changing his stance on car usage and green energy. It was so out of the blue, that many suspect it has everything to do with the Conservative party marginally retaining the Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat in a recent by-election, based solely on a campaign against London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). Since then, the PM has ordered a review of low-traffic zones, is reportedly considering scrapping 20mph speed limits and has committed to offering more licenses for firms to drill for oil and gas. With this in mind, Dent tweeted: “Word of the day is ‘snollygoster’ (19th century): one who abandons their principles for short-term gain or power.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Many suspect Dent’s post was a dig at Sunak and his apparent abandonment of green policies to win votes. One person tweeted: “Word of the day couldn't be more apt for the snollygosters in the @Conservatives today. “With particular reference to snollygosters in chief @RishiSunak @grantshapps. Burning our future for their immediate self-interest.” Someone else wrote: “Snollygoster Sunak fries the planet for political gain..” “Prime Miniature Snollygoster - has a certain ring to it?” said another. Environmental group Greenpeace described Sunak’s decision to grant oil and gas licenses as “a cynical political ploy to sow division”. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.