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Tyson Fury's manager seeks warm-up fight before Anthony Joshua bout
via Punch Nigeria1 min read
Tyson Fury's manager, Spencer Brown, stated that Fury wants another warm-up fight before facing Anthony Joshua. Fury recently returned to the ring after 16 months, defeating Arslanbek Makhmudov. While Fury claims to have signed his part of a deal for a fight with Joshua, Joshua is reportedly considering a two-fight offer from Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh. This proposed plan would involve Joshua having a tune-up fight in July, potentially leading to a showdown with Fury in November. Brown indicated that Fury's team would prefer another fight before the Joshua bout, possibly in July, which could push the Joshua fight to November or December. Fury's fights are expected to continue being broadcast by Netflix, with whom he has an exclusive partnership. Alalshikh is expected to monitor both fighters' warm-up bouts closely, given past instances where major matchups collapsed after one fighter lost their preparatory fight.
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The National Youth Service Corps NYSC, a mandatory one-year program for Nigerian graduates, is increasingly viewed with apprehension due to widespread insecurity across the country. Many prospective corps members, like Oluwakemisola, express fear of being posted to unsafe states and are planning to seek redeployment, even if it involves additional arrangements or payments. Some, such as Abayomi, have opted out of the scheme entirely, prioritizing personal safety over national service. Parents are also concerned, with many preferring their children serve closer to home. A recent poll among corps members indicated that 80% were influenced by fear of insecurity when deployed to their current states. Incidents of abductions, attacks, and disappearances involving corps members have been reported, highlighting the risks. For example, between 2013 and 2023, at least 80 corps members were abducted, with Rivers State accounting for half of these cases. An NYSC official noted that while redeployment was once for career or personal preferences, it is now primarily driven by the desire to avoid dangerous states, leading some to pay for favorable postings. Psychologists acknowledge the anxiety and emotional distress caused by the security situation but argue against canceling the scheme, emphasizing its role in national unity. However, security experts like Olalekan Jackson-Ojo suggest restricting corps members to their home states or regions as a practical reform, given the inability to
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