Martin Bakole poses the most dangerous threat to Oleksandr Usyk and would knock out the unified world heavyweight champion, says trainer Billy Nelson.
Usyk retained his WBO, WBA and WBC belts with another masterful performance to beat Tyson Fury via unanimous decision in the pair’s tense rematch in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night.
Bakole (21-1) is meanwhile coming off his biggest statement display yet after flooring Jared Anderson three times on the way to a fifth-round knockout victory back in August.
“I thought Usyk’s performance against Fury wasn’t quite as good or sharp as the first fight. I personally scored the fight a draw, it was very close,” Bakole’s trainer Nelson told Sky Sports.
“Giving either of the fighters four rounds on the scorecards was an injustice to the other boxer. I do believe Martin has got the skills and ability to dethrone Usyk.
“More importantly, I think Usyk and his team think Martin has got the ability to do it. They have shared a ring on quite a few occasions, namely in Ukraine and Dubai.
“The attributes Martin has got is unlike others; he will close the gap down against Usyk very quickly and set traps. I haven’t seen traps being set in his two fights against Tyson.”
Bakole was recently ordered to face Nigeria’s Efe Ajagba in order to determine the mandatory challenger to the IBF heavyweight title, currently held by Daniel Dubois.
Dubois, who knocked out Anthony Joshua in September, interrupted Usyk’s post-fight interview in the ring on Saturday night to demand a rematch against the Ukrainian after his ninth-round knockout defeat in August 2023.
Usyk has vowed to take a break in order to spend time with his family after his rematch victory over Fury, but seemingly has zero intention of walking away just yet despite cementing his legacy as one of the greatest heavyweights in history.
“You can rest assured that Usyk knows Martin is very dangerous, probably the most dangerous, guy out there,” said Nelson.
“I know Daniel has also said he wants to have the Usyk rematch; I don’t think anybody wants to see that because that was a domination.
“I believe Usyk won every single round against Dubois, even given that low blow, which was a low blow, the referee immediately said it was, so we don’t need to go there. He got beat, he got dropped twice and basically quit at the end of the fight.
“The best challenger out there for Oleksandr Usyk, who is a phenomenal fighter, would be Martin Bakole. I believe, and more importantly, Martin believes, he would knock him out.”
Tiger Woods and his ex-wife Elin Nordegren shared a heartwarming moment after he and their son Charlie finished second at the PNC Championship on Sunday.
The family enjoyed an exciting day at the famed father-son tournament in Orlando, Florida, with 15-year-old Charlie impressively scoring his first hole-in-one during the final round.’
Unfortunately for the youngster, however, it wasn’t to be as him and Woods Sr. were beaten to the title in a play-off by Bernhard and Jason Langer, with the former making eagle on the first play-off hole to seal the win.
Watching on with a keen eye, however, was Nordegren, who was present throughout the tournament to support her son and ex-husband, despite her highly publicised divorce with Woods 14 years ago.
Nonetheless, the pair were seen embracing after the final round as the father-son duo made their way off the course, where their daughter Sam, 17, was also a caddie for her father and brother during the weekend tournament.
Woods and Nordergren’s six-year marriage ended abruptly when the golfer’s infidelity was exposed, with multiple women claiming to have had affairs with him, to which he later confessed to.
In a dramatic turn of events, Nordegren reportedly chased Woods out of their home with a golf club on Thanksgiving in 2009, leading to a car crash and police finding the World Golf Hall of Famer asleep on the road with no shoes or socks on.
The couple’s divorce was finalised a few months later, with Woods releasing a statement expressing remorse for his infidelity, saying: “I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children.
“I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness. It may not be possible to repair the damage I’ve done but I want to do my best to try.”
Charlie was only eight months old when his parents separated, having been born in February 2009. Despite the challenging split, Nordegren seems to have genuinely moved on, as she was seen warmly interacting with Tiger after their family’s fantastic day on Sunday, with the Swedish model spotted smiling throughout the afternoon.
Nordegren has seldom been seen at many golf events, but this year she has started attending more as Charlie begins to shine as a star in his own right. She now has three children with ex-NFL tight end Jordan Cameron, in addition to Charlie and Sam from her marriage to Tiger.
Is Gervonta Davis trolling his opponent and the boxing community, or is his March 1 fight with Lamonth Roach Jr. really canceled?
Davis sent fans into an uproar on Monday after he posted the image below on his Instagram account. Uncrowned captured the image and posted it on X.
I couldn’t contact Davis, but I did reach out to Roach Jr’s publicist Nilo Wright to ask if him or his client had been notified about a cancellation or delay. “Nope, still preparing as planned for March 1st,” Wright said.
Also, Roach was asked by several people and he was seemingly getting irritated with the consistent questions. According to Roach, he’s still “locked in” for March 1.
Davis has since deleted the post, but the havoc has been created.
There’s seemingly some thought that the fight could be in jeopardy around the boxing world. Oscar De La Hoya, the face of Golden Boy posted at Davis on Monday evening offering him an opponent if he needs one.
Claressa Shields had just watched “The Fire Inside” in early January 2024 for the first time, a film chronicling the 15-time world champion boxer’s journey from growing up in Flint, Michigan, to becoming a two-time Olympic gold medalist.
Shields relived the moments — good and bad — of her road to London in 2012 and the aftermath of that gold medal-winning performance.
The film, which releases in theaters on Christmas Day, is “very accurate,” according to Shields. She had a hands off role and only OK’d the script. She spoke plenty of times with producer Barry Jenkins to ensure she was fine with people learning about parts of her journey.
“I want them to see everything wasn’t easy,” Shields told ESPN. “It was hard mentally and physically and emotionally and it took a lot to overcome those things, but I wanted those things to be in there, because I’m not ashamed of them, and I think it’ll help somebody else.”
Shields won gold in 2012 and 2016 in Rio, becoming the first American boxer — male or female — to win gold in back-to-back Olympic Games. “The Fire Inside” primarily highlights her run to London, concluding as she begins training for Rio.
As Shields watches the film, she cries, laughs and clenches her fist, the fire still very much burning inside. But once the movie ends, only one thing remains — finally meeting Ryan Destiny, the actor whose portrayal of Shields made her proud.
The two had spoken over the phone throughout the filming process. Shields called Destiny when she found out the actor got the role. Shields peppered Destiny with questions including if she ever got in a fight or pushing war. Destiny, who didn’t play sports at all before the movie, told her no. Shields admitted she got worried.
“I was praying for her. I said, ‘Oh, Lord, please give her the strength ’cause I know it’s going to be hard,'” she said.
Destiny told ESPN that she scared Shields a little “because [Shields] thought that I was maybe a little too pretty, a little too prissy for the role.” But the gold medalist came around to Destiny playing the role. After watching the film, Shields loved the boxing scenes and felt it was accurate to her experience, director Rachel Morrison told ESPN.
But, Destiny didn’t know that.
She invited Shields to her birthday party in January, which coincided with Shields’ first watch the night before. Shields wished her a happy birthday before a “scared” Destiny asked the boxer: “You seen the movie?”
“And I said, ‘Yes.’ And she said, ‘Oh.’ She just looked at me,” Shields recalled. “I start screaming, and I picked her up, and I was hugging her, and she was crying, and I was crying. I was like, ‘I loved it.’ And she just was like, ‘Oh my God. I’ve been waiting to hear that for so long.'”
It was a moment that served as the climax of a journey delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Filming began in 2020 then was halted until 2022. Exteriors were filmed in Flint with most interiors in Toronto. From a fighting perspective, the pandemic meant Destiny got to train twice, proving to be a valuable experience.
Morrison said Destiny grew as an athlete in that extra time. It was hard to build muscle and keep weight on the first time around because Destiny did “so much more physical activity than she had ever done.”
But when filming came back the second time, they figured out what worked and what didn’t.
“It was just so different for me, very shocking to my body, and just so new,” Destiny said. “And of course, I had to diet. I had to gain some weight and muscle, which was also just completely new. Not the most fun thing, but it needed to happen.”
She worked with Robert Sale, the same boxing technical advisor for “Creed” and “Creed III.” Destiny revealed that she consulted with actor Michael B. Jordan and received support from him throughout the whole filming process. Sale treated her like a fighter, not an actor — essential for understanding the coach-athlete dynamic.
Morrison trained to box, too. She worked with Dicky Eklund Jr., the son of a character played by Christian Bale in the movie “The Fighter.”
By the time “The Fire Inside” began shooting, Morrison had two years under her belt. It allowed her to choreograph fighting scenes with the experience of training and sparring to understand what it’s like to actually be hit. She wanted to “mind the game” and feel the psychological experience of being up against the ropes or having to back up out of the corner.
“I’m really proud of our boxing scenes because I think the choreography is pretty dynamic,” Morrison said. “And it really … puts the audience in the ring in a way that even with so many boxing films out there, I don’t know that many of them have captured that level of, sort of, immersive experience.”
The film covers emotional parts of Shields’ journey.
Shields doesn’t receive the notoriety or money she expects after winning gold, expressing frustration that her life seems to stay the same. It pushes her to attempt to pawn her medal at a pawn shop, only for the owner to inform Shields’ mother. Shields’ mother shows up and has an emotional embrace with the boxer — their up-and-down relationship is chronicled too, something Destiny asked Shields about for a better understanding.
One of the more emotional moments is when Shields travels to China for the 2012 Olympic trials. However, her trainer, Jason Crutchfield — played by actor Brian Tyree Henry — is unable to join her overseas.
Shields feels lost, suffering her first professional defeat to Savannah Marshall as she struggles to understand the instructions of a coach she normally doesn’t work with. She takes it hard in the film — refusing to speak to Crutchfield when he calls her after and rewatching the fight multiple times, nitpicking what went wrong.
Speaking about it over a decade later, it still bothers the boxing star.
“I felt like I had let my family down, and I let Jason down and everybody down when I had lost, so when I see that in the movie, it still makes me cry,” Shields said. “And I see that … even though I’m tearing up now, but that’s the hard part for me to watch.”
A major reason why the film accurately portrays that moment is because of Morrison and Destiny’s experience with their respective boxing coaches.
Morrison got close to her coach, feeling a “little bit at a loss” when he would travel with other fighters. Destiny experienced the same. When her coach couldn’t be on set, she admitted not having the same confidence compared to if he was actually there.
“It was a very odd thing to go through, but it was great in hindsight for the film itself, and being able to make sure that I executed even those parts correctly,” Destiny said.
Stunt people weren’t used for any of the fight scenes. Destiny completed the scenes and the boxers involved were actual boxers. She recalled it being weird to film the fights. When training, she learned the fundamentals and how to actually fight.
Destiny had to relearn things for the camera such as making punches wider and figuring out distance so they weren’t actually connecting on punches. She was hit a few times because they got too close. But, Destiny was quick to joke: “I hit them too, but they can take it. They’re used to it.”
Morrison wanted to keep those scenes unique and distinct, especially since there are five fights within the first two-thirds of the movie. Lighting and location played a role in making them look different.
The first fight of the film is a “oner,” meaning they had to do it in one take.
“[That] was a chance to do something a little bit different because you don’t need to communicate anything other than the fact that she’s a badass,” Morrison said. “So you could just play …. and also … it’s almost a minute of fighting, and Ryan lands every single one of those punches.”
Shields called Destiny’s boxing “beautiful” and could tell she trained. She had no complaints about the fights, mentioning that the scenes looked real.
The film has been embraced by Shields and the Flint community — a sense of validation for Morrison.
The director admitted she didn’t know much of Shields’ story before working on the project, but it deserved to be out there. To her, that was the reason to make the movie. There was something fundamentally wrong with being unaware of the story, but “that’s sort of what the movie kind of touches on,” Morrison said.
Destiny didn’t know Shields’ story either, explaining it as a mixture of her being in the arts and not athletics. However, she is from Detroit and realized that other people from there also weren’t aware of Shields’ journey from Flint — a heartbreaking reality.
“It’s just insane that not enough people know about her and what she’s accomplished,” Destiny said. “She’s made history. And because of that, I just wanted to have the honor of being able to play someone where you can be a little vessel in telling the story itself.”
Her story will “finally be told the right way,” according to Shields. She hopes the movie inspires and encourages people, highlighting the fact that if she can make it, someone else can too.
“I want 5-year-olds to watch the film,” Shields said. “And then when they turn 20 and people ask them, who is your inspiration? They be like, you know what? I watched the movie ‘The Fire Inside’ with Claressa Shields, and that’s what helped me get to where I am. I want it to be that big of an impact.”
The WBC and WBO women’s heavyweight champion Claressa Shields has once again clarified her stance on the much-discussed feud with former boxing legend Laila Ali.
In a recent interview, Shields spoke candidly about the ongoing tension between the two boxing greats. Known for her dominance in women’s boxing, Shields used the platform to dismiss misconceptions and provide context to what many fans have labeled a generational clash. The animosity between Shields and Ali can be traced back to comments made by both fighters over the years. Let’s dive deeper into it.
Four years ago, in an interview on Sway’s Universe, the 46-year-old was asked about what she thinks of Claressa Shields. She replied, “First of all, she could never beat me. Let me get that real straight.” This enraged the 29-year-old, who decided to respond promptly.
In an interview, the two-time Olympic gold medalist hit out stating, “If you go on boxrec and look at my caliber of opponents and look at her caliber of opponents you’ll see why she’s 24-0 with maybe 23 knockouts. You’ll be able to see why. Because she fought against soccer moms, or probably strippers or something. And I fight real fighters.”
If you thought that was all, you are wrong. The feud further progressed when Laila Ali declared that the GWOAT was not talented enough to fight her. Shields, again, did not shy away from responding: “Let’s just keep it honest. Don’t say that I am not talented. I am the most talented female fighter there has been in the history of boxing.” So what is new to this saga?
Coming back to the present scenario, the Michigan native recently sat down for an interview with former world champion Andre Ward on his ALL THE SMOKE FIGHT podcast on YouTube. The conversation begins with Shields discussing her recent movie, “The Fire Inside,” which portrays her life story. She expressed excitement about the film’s release and the promotional efforts she’s been involved in. Ward then reminded her of her ongoing feud with the daughter of Muhammad Ali, which is when she revealed the story as she saw it.
The two-division undisputed champion shared that it all began when fans and critics started comparing her with the undefeated Laila Ali after Shields had won her first title at super middleweight. All was good between the two until the comparisons soured the relationship. “Then people start making comparisons. And when I feel like they started making comparisons that’s when like the ‘text’ and the ‘good luck’ stuff from Laila stopped,” Shields revealed.
According to her, they stoked the fire, speculating about a potential exhibition match. Despite the buzz, no concrete plans materialized, leaving the feud simmering on social media and interviews. For Claressa Shields, the feud wasn’t a publicity stunt. She never spoke on the comparisons until Laila Ali sent out the first shot. “In an interview, they asked me, you know, ‘Claressa, so what does this say?’ I’m like, ‘This proves that I’m the best woman fighter in the world,’ you know. And I think that that may that may have rubbed her the wrong way,” contended Shields. She claimed that she has no ill feelings for Ali, adding, “I don’t feel like Laila Ali is a terrible fighter. She’s a good fighter. She did a lot for women’s boxing.”
However, for Shields, when it came time for her, she decided to stake the claim at being the best, which Laila Ali may have considered an affront to her own legacy. “But I came in the game with I’m the greatest…but I didn’t do that to be disrespectful to her. It was to make my mark and stamp my claim on what I really felt,” explained the unified heavyweight champion. She emphasized the importance of recognizing the evolution of women’s boxing. Shields’ journey, from her humble beginnings in Flint, Michigan, to becoming the first boxer, male or female, to hold all four major world titles in two weight divisions, stands as a testament to her grit and talent.
The question has left many wondering what the man on the top of the mountain will do. The fans saw him do the unthinkable again. He slayed Tyson Fury for a second time, and with him turning 38 next year, the fans are intrigued about his future. While there is nothing concrete, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh has left a major clue.
Usyk, 37, handed a defeat to Fury, 36, in their rematch this past Saturday and held on to his unified heavyweight title. The fight, marred with controversy, solidified the Ukrainian fighter’s legacy, and some might even go on to argue that he could hang up the boxing gloves. However, Daniel Dubois doesn’t think that way. He wants revenge. And he tried to set up the fight he had been looking for almost a year now after he collected a loss against ‘The Cat’. He even stormed into the ring to set the wheels in motion, and it seems it has worked.
Alalshikh, 43, turned to his X handle and shared what he had planned. For Usyk, at 23-0, he revealed a future fight with the winner of ‘Triple D’ vs. Joseph Parker. He wrote, “Usyk told me he is ready to do any fight in the future , we agreed he rest for now and nothing before the result between Dubois and Parker.”
Notably, Dubois, 27, will defend the IBF title against Parker, 32, on February 22, and the winner could be booked to fight Usyk next. The fight could set up another undisputed crown ceremony. But will it happen? Will Usyk take the fight, especially given his age and his desire to move down to cruiserweight?
When the latter interrupted his festivities, the two-division undisputed champion was keen to give Dubois his revenge match. Many criticized the British boxer for his antics, which led to Usyk demanding HE Turki Alalshikh to arrange the fight. Interestingly, before the Fury fight, Usyk admitted he wanted to move down to cruiserweight. He told Sky Sports, “I’ll try and go back to cruiserweight again. Yeah, I will try.”
Before the February 22 card and its result shake up the heavyweight division, Usyk can have his much-needed rest. He was eager to spend holidays with his family, too. He said, “I’m gonna go home now and enjoy it. We go home to a new year. Let’s see what it brings.” So, it remains to be seen when the fans can see him in the ring next. It could be sooner than most of us expected it to be.
Following his latest win over Tyson Fury this past weekend to retain his heavyweight titles, Oleksandr Usyk appeared at the post fight press conference to talk to the media about his thoughts on the win.
Here’s some of what Usyk had to say about the fight.
Usyk on what he was thinking heading into the last round of the fight
“I don’t think about it, I’m just boxing. I’m just continue my plan, what say Yuri, my coach.”
On whether this second fight was easier than the first
“Fight was easy — not easy but easier.”
On his bond with Fury after two full fights at the highest level of the sport
“Tyson my best friend. Listen, I very respect this guy because I think it’s very tough, my opponent. Tyson Fury make me strong…Tyson is a great opponent, it’s a big man, a tough boxer. It’s a good man. Tyson, a lot of talk, yeah? It’s just show. I very respect Tyson Fury. 24 rounds, listen, now is already history.”
On Fury calling the win a Christmas gift and Frank Warren saying he can’t see how the judges scored the fight for him
“Uncle Frank, I think blind. If Tyson say it’s Christmas gift, okay. Thank you God, not Tyson…Listen, Frank crazy man, you know, I think. That’s my opinion. Ok, no problem. I win.”
Floyd Mayweather made quick work of many of his early opponents – but he knocked out one fighter faster than the rest.
Before Mayweather became a dominant five-weight world champion who outsmarted his opponents with superior boxing IQ and defensive craft, he was a hard-hitting super featherweight prospect.
After being robbed in the semi-finals of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics against Serafim Todorov, ‘Pretty Boy Floyd’ turned over as a professional in October of that year.
He hit the ground running in the paid ranks, stopping five of his first six opponents, including three inside the opening round.
Mayweather blasted out Jerry Cooper in 99 seconds and blitzed Kino Rodriguez in 104 seconds, while Bobby Giepert could only last 90 seconds with the fast-rising phenom.
But ‘TBE’ would get much closer to the minute mark in his seventh outing against Denver journeyman Tony Duran.
Duran entered the fight with an unremarkable 12-15-1 record, but was expected to give Mayweather rounds after going the distance with his uncle Jeff three months prior.
However, Duran proved to be no match for the 20-year-old puncher who flattened him in 72 seconds with a short right hand.
Duran managed to make his way back to his feet after eating the heavy blow, but stumbled into the ropes upon regaining his footing, prompting the referee to wave off the contest.
It was clear from a very early stage in his career that Mayweather would be something special.
When Mayweather was a teenager, the late great Emmanuel Steward was quoted as saying: “There have been very few that have been more talented than this kid.
“He will probably win two or three world championships. I think he will go on to become one of the best ever.”
As per usual, the Hall of Fame trainer was bang on the money.
During an illustrious professional career stretching up until 2017, Mayweather compiled an unblemished 50-0 record and won world titles from super featherweight to super welterweight.
Along the way, he beat 24 former and current world champions including Canelo Alvarez, Manny Pacquiao, Oscar De La Hoya, and Shane Mosley.
Boxing historians would tell you that legends like Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali rank higher than Mayweather when it comes to boxing’s all-time greats.
But there is no doubting the fact that Mayweather was the best of his generation.
Former foe Ricky Hatton perhaps said it best.
“After every single fight I’ve had, it was the only fight where I’ve sat in the changing rooms, bit down and thought to myself ‘wow, he was good’,” he told ESPN.
“Just his defence, his movement and just how clever he was.
“He knew when to put his foot on the gas a little bit, when to soak it up a little bit, let me blow myself out, let the storm blow itself out a bit and then put his foot on the gas.
“I would go as far and say a genuis, absolutely great.”
Biles is a constant presence at the Chicago sideline before games at Soldier Field
Jonathan Owens kicked off Sunday’s Chicago Bears game with a heartwarming pre-kickoff tradition-a kiss on the cheek for his wife, Simone Biles.
The Olympic gymnast joined her husband on the sidelines at Soldier Field before the Bears faced off against the Detroit Lions, marking her second appearance at a Bears game this week.
Owens and Biles’ sweet game day ritual
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Biles, known for her chic sideline looks, wore a black Prada puffer coat and a matching fuzzy bucket hat.
She completed the look with her signature braided locs, effortlessly blending style and support for her NFL star husband.
Earlier in the week, Biles attended the Bears’ Monday Night Football game against the Minnesota Vikings, where she and Owens charmed fans with their playful personal handshake before kickoff.
Unfortunately for the Bears, the Biles-Owens good-luck handshake was not enough to prevent another loss as they fell 12-30 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The couple, who tied the knot in April 2023, are known for their unwavering support of each other’s careers.
For Owens, Biles’ presence has been a game-changer.
“You get a different type of focus when you have that one person you’re focusing on,”Owens shared in a July interview.
“Since meeting Simone, I’ve played a lot better… You come home, talk about your day, and play with the dogs-that’s just kind of our thing.”
Biles, who continues to support Owens at his games, is also making headlines in the gymnastics world.
The University of Georgia recently announced that she will attend their gymnastics team’s home opener on Jan. 17.
Boxer Claressa Shields, a multi-division champion and undefeated boxer, recently opened up about the impact her success has had on her family relationships.
Ahead of her February 2nd match against Danielle Perkins in Flint, Michigan, Shields appeared on the “Art of Ward”Podcast with Andre Ward. The conversation touched on her fame and wealth, which she has amassed through her successful career in the ring.
Shields explained that while she has provided for her family, her generosity led to expectations that strained her relationships.
“I bought every last one of my siblings a car,” she shared. “My mama a house, my mama two cars, my daddy a car. [I] helped [my dad] with his bills, help mama with her bills, help my sister take care of her three kids.”
Despite her efforts, Shields noted that her sister Briana’s children live with her, and she regularly attends teacher conferences, yet the more she gave, the more resentment seemed to grow.
“It seemed like the more you do, the more that they don’t like you,” she said, fighting back tears. “You work so hard to make all this money and to have a good life for yourself and then the people who you wanna share it with, they just change on you.”
Reflecting on her isolation, she said, “People say it’s lonely at the top but damn, this lonely,” adding, “Family shouldn’t be like that.”
