The powerhouse Liverpool forward secured a record-breaking 90 per cent of the vote, while Arsenal’s Alessia Russo topped a wide field to win the women’s award, writes JAMES NALTON

ONE of the classic old saws in the rarefied world of boxing folklore is that what happens in the gym stays in the gym.
In other words, what occurs during a given training camp in sparring remains the preserve of the fighters involved and their respective teams present. But this culture of secrecy or confidentiality has increasingly come under attack in an age when prize money at the top level is so huge that anything goes is now the rule.
The latest instalment of such revolves around the rumours surrounding Tyson Fury’s preparations for his upcoming heavyweight undisputed battle against Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh on February 23. If to be believed, Australian cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia, during just five rounds of sparring, recently dropped the self-styled Gypsy King to the canvas.

The outcome of the Shakespearean modern-day classic, where legacy was reborn, continues to resonate in the mind of Morning Star boxing writer JOHN WIGHT

JOHN WIGHT previews the much-anticipated bout between Benn and Eubank Jnr where — unlike the fights between their fathers — spectacle has reigned over substance

