KSI admits knockout of Joe Fournier is ‘tarnished’
KSI has admitted that his win against Joe Fournier on Saturday was ‘tarnished’ by the accidental elbow that caused the knockout. The YouTuber, 29, dropped Fournier in Round 2, leaving the 40-year-old ex-boxer unable to beat the referee’s count. However, replays showed that Fournier had been floored by an accidental elbow, rather than a punch. After the exhibition bout at London’s Wembley Arena, Fournier vowed to officially contest the result, while YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul called for KSI to be disqualified. KSI (real name Olajide Olatunji) has since offered his own thoughts on the matter. “I worked very hard for this fight and had an intense and gruelling camp,” he wrote on social media on Sunday (14 May). “There’s no better feeling than being in that ring and having my hand raised in front of my loyal and amazing fans who I appreciate so much. “Unfortunately the victory, which was inevitable no matter what, is tarnished and I hate that. It sucks! “After landing my overhand he was pretty much out on his feet, and I went for a short right hook as Joe clinched me and fell into me. I landed that hook and my glove made contact but appears to have been followed by unintentional contact with my forearm. “I’m gutted that it’s not as clean a win as I wanted and it feels like it diminishes my hard work with my trainers. Either way, I hope you enjoyed the show and appreciate the support. Sorry to all the fans disappointed with it. No one is more so than me.” Meanwhile, Paul took exception to KSI’s description of events. The American, 26, wrote on Twitter: “Why you lying still? No part of your glove made contact with Joe’s face on that elbow. That was not a hook. That was straight up a right elbow to the jawbone. Good form but wrong sport. “Your whole promotion is sham. Bad look for the sport of boxing. Your ‘commission’ [the Professional Boxing Association] should hold itself to a higher standard. I hope England Boxing starts to oversee this product and makes it safer for everyone.” Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Joe Fournier reacts to ‘disgusting’ KSI knockout Who will KSI fight next after last night’s controversial knockout? Who is KSI? From ‘endearing’ class clown to YouTuber who has changed the face of boxing Tommy Fury brawls with fellow Love Island contestant in KSI vs Fournier crowd KSI and Tommy Fury separated after heated face-off at Misfits boxing fight Joe Fournier reacts to ‘disgusting’ KSI knockout KSI vs Fournier last night: Latest fight updates and results after knockout
2023-05-16 00:17
Nantes fines Egyptian striker for refusing to wear rainbow numbers on jersey
Nantes has fined striker Mostafa Mohamed for refusing to play against Toulouse on Sunday when teams across France wore rainbow-colored numbers on their jerseys to support the fight against homophobia
2023-05-16 00:16
Tennis Star Serena Williams, Citi’s Shafir Join Investment-Banking Firm Consello
Consello Group, a newly formed investment banking firm that has been on a hiring spree since forming last
2023-05-15 23:59
Celtic’s Ange Postecoglou and Kyogo Furuhashi take top PFA Scotland awards
Further improvement was the mantra as Celtic dominated the PFA Scotland awards, with success for manager Ange Postecoglou and striker Kyogo Furuhashi. Postecoglou was named manager of the year by his peers on Sunday evening after guiding the Hoops to back-to-back titles, while Furuhashi won the Premiership player of the year title after scoring 30 goals in all competitions, 24 of them in the league to sit at the top of the charts. Postecoglou saw off competition from fellow Premiership boss Stephen Robinson of St Mirren, Dunfermline’s James McPake and Stirling Albion’s Darren Young. The former Australia head coach told Sky Sports News: “On the evidence of our season we have been a better side. “We have been more dominating than we were last year in all competitions and the players have improved in all areas. “That’s always the challenge. Sometimes when you have success, complacency can sort of creep in, but I have never seen that with this group.” Furuhashi backed up that assessment after beating team-mates Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate plus Motherwell striker Kevin van Veen to the main prize of the night. The Japan international said: “I’m really grateful to get this award. It’s thanks to all the support from the people around me “There were a lot of great nominees and great players out there, so I am really pleased to get this award, but I would still like to be a better player so I will work hard.” Celtic winger Jota claimed the goal of the season prize – voted for by the public – for his sublime chip in the 4-0 home victory over Rangers in September. The Hoops also provided the women’s player of the year in Caitlin Hayes, but there was double success for Rangers in the young player categories, with on-loan Bayern Munich midfielder Malik Tillman getting the men’s award ahead of Celtic duo Liel Abada and Matt O’Riley plus Albion Rovers winger Charlie Reilly. Rangers’ Emma Watson was named women’s young player of the year. A special merit award went to former St Mirren, Aberdeen, Scotland and Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Read More Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou named manager of the year at PFA Scotland Awards ‘We never stop’: How Ange Postecoglou restored Celtic’s dominance The sporting weekend in pictures
2023-05-15 23:53
French Open organizers give wild cards to veterans Paire and Mladenovic
French Open organizers have handed veteran French players Benoit Paire and Kristina Mladenovic wild cards into the main draw
2023-05-15 23:46
What do Manchester City need to win the Premier League title?
Manchester City are on the brink of securing a third successive Premier League crown. Arsenal’s defeat to Brighton, coupled with Manchester City’s comfortable victory against Everton, leaves Pep Guardiola’s side four points clear with the end of the season drawing near. The London club had led the way for a long time this year as a young side flourished under the management of Mikel Arteta, a former assistant to Guardiola. But three consecutive draws against Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton weakened Arsenal’s hold on top spot, before a heavy 4-1 defeat to their title rivals allowed Manchester City to seize the initiative. The league leaders have played one fewer game than Arsenal, who have only two games left to play and are on 81 points. That means that the highest tally that Arteta’s side can achieve is 87 points. Manchester City currently have 85 points - one more win will be enough to make certain of a fifth title under Guardiola. They next host Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday 21 May, which will be their first chance to make sure of another crown. That fixture is their only remaining game on home turf, with trips to Brighton and Brentford closing Manchester City’s season. Of course, they could yet be crowned in absentia - if Arsenal lose to Nottingham Forest on Saturday 20 May, they will not be able to overhaul the table-toppers. Indeed, even a draw at the City Ground would leave Arsenal needing Manchester City to both lose their three remaining games and suffer an improbable goal difference drop to keep faint title hopes alive. Read More Arteta apologises to fans as Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge fades away Man City brush aside Everton to close in on title as Brighton stun Arsenal Man City being driven to title by man of the moment – and it’s not Erling Haaland
2023-05-15 23:29
76ers have questions to solve on Harden, Rivers after another 2nd-round exit
The Philadelphia 76ers face plenty of questions headed into another offseason without a championship
2023-05-15 23:26
'Godfather of Poker' Doyle Brunson dies aged 89
The Texas native, inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1988, became an ambassador for the game.
2023-05-15 23:26
After strong season with Brunson, Knicks must weigh more time or more talent
The New York Knicks' hopes of finally building another championship-contending team may be moving forward with Jalen Brunson aboard
2023-05-15 22:57
Sunderland are in good spirits ahead of play-off second leg – Tony Mowbray
Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray admitted his side are in “good spirits” ahead of the second leg of their Championship play-off semi-final at Luton. The Black Cats take a slender advantage into the game after securing a 2-1 win at the Stadium of Light in the first leg on Saturday. Luton had gone ahead in the 11th minute through Elijah Adebayo’s close-range strike, but Amad Diallo curled in a stunning equaliser before Trai Hume headed them in front after the break. “I think the team are in good spirits. I’ve said all season, we believe we can compete against anybody in the league,” Mowbray told a pre-match press conference. “This game is against a team who finished 11 points in front of us, finished third in the league, a fantastic season Luton have had, they’ve been growing their club for the last three or four years. “They’ve got an experienced group of players, very together, and you can feel that. I said at the last press conference, you feel their comradeship. “I think we did amazing to come out on top in the first game and I’m not anticipating too much difference second game. It’s a tighter environment of course, if anything they might double down on what they do and how they play and we have to try and do the same.” Sunderland will be aiming to build on their lead at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday night and Mowbray urged his side to “enjoy the challenge” of playing against the Hatters. He added: “Obviously (we’ve) been there this season, it’s a tight ground, tight dressing room, tight tunnel, it feels a tighter pitch than the Stadium of Light. “It’s a totally different challenge for us but one that we should look forward to and go with some confidence and enjoy the challenge of trying to play against a team that are very athletic, very physical. “If they get their game plan right, they could give us lots of problems, of course, but we have to concentrate on what we do well and see if we can give them problems.” There are more injury concerns for an already stretched Sunderland side, with Mowbray admitting he is unsure whether Alex Pritchard and Patrick Roberts will be involved. Both players were withdrawn in the final 10 minutes of the first leg, but Mowbray confirmed that Aji Alese could be involved following his return to training. “Pritchard and Roberts are touch and go, I’d suggest,” the Sunderland boss said. “They might both make it, they both might not make it, one might make it. I sit here today not really knowing. “Alese trained today, which is good. I discussed with him maybe (being) on the bench. “A 6ft 3ins kid who can run all day up and down, whether we get him on the pitch if they’re chasing a goal or putting it in our box, it will be good to have someone over the height of six foot in there to try and head it out. “We’re not too far away from what we were the other day.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Michael Carrick not losing sleep in Middlesbrough’s bid to overcome Coventry Carlos Alcaraz stunned by world number 135 Fabian Marozsan at Italian Open Alex Iwobi targets maximum haul from Everton’s crucial last two games
2023-05-15 22:55
Enemies List: Ross Chastain again leaves wrecks, bad feelings in his wake at Darlington
Car owner Rick Hendrick sees the talent in Ross Chastain
2023-05-15 22:49
Michael Carrick not losing sleep in Middlesbrough’s bid to overcome Coventry
Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick will not be losing any sleep as he tries to guide his club past Coventry into the Sky Bet Championship play-off final. Carrick and his players were woken in the early hours on Sunday morning after fireworks were set off outside the Forest of Arden hotel at which they were staying ahead of their first-leg clash with the Sky Blues at the CBS Arena. Whether the ploy, which has been attributed to mischievous City fans, worked or not is moot after the teams fought out a 0-0 draw, and everything is still to play for in the return at the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday evening. Asked if he was the sort of person who ever lost sleep over football matches, a relaxed Carrick said: “I’m generally a good sleeper fortunately. “Sometimes after games…before games I sleep well – most of the time before games, I sleep well. Sometimes after games, if it’s a night game especially… “It was a little bit worse when I was a player because there’s that little bit more adrenaline going through your system, but most of the time I sleep pretty well.” Mark Robins and his players can expect a hostile welcome and a packed Riverside as Boro attempt to book a trip to Wembley and a showdown with either derby rivals Sunderland or Luton, with the Hatters facing a 2-1 deficit as they welcome the Black Cats to Kenilworth Road on Tuesday evening. Asked if that reception might extend to a tit-for-tat last-night display of pyrotechnics, Carrick said: “Fireworks? I don’t know. “As I said after the game, I had a little chuckle and went back to sleep. Fans are fans, they want to create the atmosphere. “For me, it’s about in the stadium, the atmosphere and how the boys can feed off it. We’ll prepare and we’ll plan and we’ll go into the game exactly as we would for any other game. “But there’s no hiding that extra adrenaline. That extra spark that the supporters inside the stadium can create for us is vital to give us that boost, and I’m sure the boys will feel it and feed off it and hopefully respond to it very well. “But it won’t affect how we prepare for the game. That will be a natural kind of feeling that we benefit from.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
2023-05-15 22:49