Tyson Fury

Competitions including the Premier League, the NBA and Formula One were off as sport attempts to combat the spread of the virus.

There have been over 160,000 confirmed cases and more than 6,000 deaths worldwide.

Without work to keep them busy, athletes were finding other ways to entertain themselves - and often posting evidence online.

Tyson Fury would not have been in boxing action this weekend, as it is just weeks since his stunning world heavyweight title defeat of Deontay Wilder, but he was still impacted by coronavirus.

The Briton had been set to run the Liverpool Half Marathon but was advised not to, amid the crisis.

That did little to stop Fury, though, who continued with the run at home instead, dressed as Batman with strength and conditioning coach Kristian Blacklock as his sidekick Robin.

In the United States, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been vocal in bemoaning his boredom while the NBA is paused, but the world received evidence of how he has been using his time.

The Greek Freak's girlfriend uploaded a video of the reigning MVP playing Deep Purple's Smoke on the Water on guitar, and the Milwaukee Bucks ace replied: "If anyone wants a guitarist for their group, I'm free. Inbox me for booking."

Elsewhere, Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain stayed active this weekend.

His popstar girlfriend Perrie Edwards - a member of Little Mix - posted a video of the pair dancing at home with the caption: "Precautionary self isolation can be fun!"

Football's most famous popstar WAG had also featured in a social media post on Saturday.

David Beckham had been anticipating Inter Miami's first home match against his former club LA Galaxy before the 2020 MLS season was suspended.

Beckham instead took his family to see his expansion club's stadium, though, and wife Victoria was enjoying herself as the tannoy blasted out Spice Girls songs.

Robert Lewandowski and Gabriel Jesus shared clips of their workouts, but Dries Mertens' was a little different.

The Napoli star was filmed lifting a giant wine bottle in his exercises, posting the video with the caption: "My greatest advice in life, 'A little bit of wine is the solution to a lot of problems'."

And Barcelona B midfielder Riqui Puig joined a campaign to keep people in their homes in Spain, skilfully juggling toilet roll in an apparent reference to the stockpiling prompted by the virus.

The WBC world heavyweight champion already has his ‘Gypsy King’ brand embroidered on the Shrimps' shorts.

After it was announced Fury will face Derek Chisora at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a trilogy fight on December 3, the unbeaten 34-year-old revealed he is mulling over a takeover of the club in the seaside town where he lives.

He told talkSPORT on Thursday: "Quick question, I'm thinking about buying Morecambe Football Club, they're in League One at the moment.

"So I was thinking I invest X amount of millions in them."

Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan replied: "By invest you mean throw it at them, invest is the wrong term."

Fury said: "Yeah, basically throw it at them and keep them going up. I've been offered to buy Morecambe Football Club.

"I own all the training facilities anyway and the training gym. So who knows? You might be looking at a football club owner."

Jordan asked Fury: "You know how to make a small fortune in football?”

The world champion responded: "Start off with a bigger one! It's the same as being a boxing promoter."

The WBC champion saw off old rival Derek Chisora once again at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier this month, to set up a potential unification bout with the Ukrainian.

Following his win, ex-Manchester United forward Rooney professed his admiration for Fury, with the latter suggesting he should spar with the D.C. United boss.

Though those comments appeared to be in jest, Fury claimed on Monday his offer was serious, with Rooney set to link up with him in training.

"I spoke to Wayne last night and he’s well up for it," he told ITV. "He's a right-handed person, so he has to switch up to be a southpaw, left-handed. We're going to bring Wayne in for preparation for Usyk.

"[I’m being] very, very serious. He's agreed, so he's going to come into camp for about four weeks and help me. I'm a big fan of his as well."

Across a highly successful club career, Rooney enjoyed domestic and international success with United, before transitioning into management with Derby County.

He was previously the outright record goalscorer for England, until current Three Lions captain Harry Kane matched his haul during the nation's 2-1 defeat to France in the World Cup quarter-finals.

Fury is angling for a bout with Usyk, who defeated Anthony Joshua to take the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO titles before defending them against the Briton once again earlier this year.

While the globe has been ground to a halt by the coronavirus pandemic, Vince McMahon's global sports entertainment behemoth has continued with its weekly television shows Raw and Smackdown filmed in the absence of live audiences at the company's performance center.

Indeed, WWE's flagship event Wrestlemania is going ahead in the same fashion despite the breakout of COVID-19, which curtailed hosting the show at the original location of the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida.

Fan favourites including John Cena, Becky Lynch, Bray Wyatt, Charlotte Flair, Edge, Randy Orton and Bill Goldberg are scheduled to appear on a bumper card shown over Saturday and Sunday this weekend.

But there will also be the presence of former NFL star Rob Gronkowski, who is slated to serve as host of Wrestlemania 36.

The ex-New England Patriots tight end – who helped his buddy Mojo Rawley win the 'Andre the Giant Battle Royal' during the Wrestlemania 33 pre-show – is not the first athlete to show up in WWE. Here we take a look at some others.

WAYNE ROONEY

England and Manchester United's record goalscorer had a run-in with Wade Barrett during a November 2015 edition of Monday Night Raw.

Preston fan Barrett, incensed by what he felt was a dive by Rooney in an FA Cup tie between his team and United nine months prior, said the now Derby County midfielder embarrasses his son "every time you step on a football pitch". Rooney retaliated with a slap.

RONDA ROUSEY

"Ronda's gonna kill ya..." was the chant emanating around Levi's Stadium as the fearsome Ronda Rousey stepped between the ropes at Wrestlemania 31.

Accompanied by WWE great Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, now a worldwide movie star, UFC icon Rousey was involved in a spat with the legendary Triple H and his wife Stephanie McMahon.

Three years later, Rousey partnered Olympic gold medallist Kurt Angle to defeat 'The Game' and 'The Billion Dollar Princess'. In January 2018, she became an in-ring regular and won Raw's women's title, which she dropped to Lynch a year ago.

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL

Better known for slam dunks, former Los Angeles Lakers star Shaquille O'Neal got in a choke slam at Wrestlemania 32.

The four-time NBA champion had a stare down with the Big Show, before the two combined to slam the 'Big Red Machine' Kane.

RICKY HATTON

Ricky Hatton earned hordes of fans throughout a brilliant boxing career.

In November 2009, 'The Hitman' stepped into a different kind of ring to host an episode of Raw from Sheffield Arena.

Hatton even donned the gloves to land a knockout punch on Chavo Guerrero Jr., with whom he had feuded on the evening.

FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. has beaten them all in the boxing ring, as his 50-0 record proves.

But it was a true case of David vs Goliath when Mayweather, approximately 5'7" and 150lbs, came up against the 7'2", 500lb giant The Big Show at Wrestlemania 24.

Despite the notable size advantage, Big Show was distracted by a member of Mayweather's entourage hitting him with a chair and 'Money' delivered a telling blow, albeit while wearing brass knuckles, to knock out his huge opponent.

PETE ROSE

Pete Rose is a legend of the baseball world, holding MLB's all-time hits record and winning the World Series on three occasions.

Rose was part of the 1970s Cincinnati Reds team that earned the nickname 'The Big Red Machine'.

But his run in with WWE's own 'Big Red Machine' Kane during the late 1990s and 2000 have become the thing of wrestling folklore.

On one such occasion at Wrestlemania 15, Rose was disguised as a chicken and earned a beatdown from Kane, including his devastating tombstone finishing manoeuvre.

MIKE TYSON

'Iron' Mike Tyson is no stranger to a WWE ring.

'The Baddest Man on the Planet' had an infamous showdown with 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, one of the all-time greats in WWE, on an episode of Raw and had seemingly sided with one of the company's most famous stables D-Generation X before one of its members Shawn Michaels faced Austin at Wrestlemania 14.

However, during the event Tyson showed his true allegiance, counting the pin for Austin and clocking Michaels. Some 12 years later, Tyson buried the hatchet with his DX foes, unveiling a shirt with their logo on and knocking out Chris Jericho during a Raw segment.

MUHAMMAD ALI

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee - did you know this boxing legend starred in WWE?

Okay, sure, back then it was known as WWF when Ali was one of the guest referees at the first Wrestlemania at New York's Madison Square Garden for the main event between 'Hollywood' Hulk Hogan and A-Team star Mr. T versus 'Mr. Wonderful' Paul Orndorff and 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper.

BROCK LESNAR

Few men strike fear in their opponents quite like Brock Lesnar, who is as well known for his two stints in WWE as he is for being a former UFC heavyweight champion.

Lesnar is a multi-time champion in the organisation and will defend his WWE title against Drew McIntyre this weekend.

TYSON FURY

'The Gypsy King' recently crowned his own personal road to recovery by knocking out Deontay Wilder to become the WBC heavyweight champion.

The big-talking Briton warmed up for that bout by enjoying a short run in WWE, feuding with 'The Monster Among Men' Braun Strowman, which resulted in Fury in earning a count-out win over his huge opponent at WWE's Crown Jewel pay-per-view last October.