Northern Ireland

Paul Gascoigne jokes around with heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder at Windsor Park

Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne shares a joke with Deontay Wilder before the Tyson Fury vs Francesco Pianeta fight at Windsor Park, Belfast. Picture by Niall Carson/PA
Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne shares a joke with Deontay Wilder before the Tyson Fury vs Francesco Pianeta fight at Windsor Park, Belfast. Picture by Niall Carson/PA Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne shares a joke with Deontay Wilder before the Tyson Fury vs Francesco Pianeta fight at Windsor Park, Belfast. Picture by Niall Carson/PA

FORMER footballer Paul Gascoigne jokingly sparred with a heavyweight boxing champion when he appeared ringside at Belfast's Windsor Park.

Sporting bleached blond hair and dark sunglasses, Gascoigne was spotted talking to Deontay Wilder ringside before Tyson Fury's fight against Francesco Pianeta on Saturday night.

But the ex-England football star, known as Gazza, appeared to catch the American boxer off-guard with a left jab on the side of his face before following it up with a right-hand punch.

The pair laughed and joked together before shaking hands and hugging before taking their seats for the Fury fight, which came ahead of Carl Frampton's clash with Luke Jackson.

Wilder, the WBC title holder, was in Belfast to watch Fury, his opponent in waiting. He had caused controversy on Friday when he shouted and caused a scene at Fury's weigh-in.

He also had half a chicken thrown on him by WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders at a Nando's restaurant.