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Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk risks gradually losing his championship titles. At the moment, he holds the WBA, WBC, and WBO belts, as well as the less prestigious IBO title.

Details: According to World Boxing News, Usyk may face a situation similar to when he had to relinquish his IBF title after his first fight against Fury. The reason is that he has not been defending his belts in fights against mandatory challengers or interim champions of these organizations.

Oleksandr Usyk

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However, it is reported that the federations may make an exception if Usyk reaches an agreement in the near future for a fight for the undisputed championship against the winner of the Dubois vs. Parker bout.

Reminder: Earlier, Tyson Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, revealed what might motivate the “Gypsy King” to return to the ring. According to him, Fury has indeed retired for now, but he may change his mind in the future if he regains the desire to box again.

Serena Williams knows how to keep us on our toes—both on and off the court.

Sure, she’s a GOAT in tennis, but her life beyond the baseline is just as dazzling. From launching businesses to being a supermom, Serena proves that there’s nothing she can’t conquer. And now? It’s her love for fashion taking center stage once again. Williams has never been the one to shy away from bold, statement looks. Whether it’s slaying at the Met Gala or bringing her unique flair to everyday wear, she has always served style with confidence. This time, she has dropped jaws with yet another chic appearance, and let’s just say, it’s mesmerizing.

The American legend took to her Instagram account on February 8 and shared a string of pictures and visuals from her outing. While exact details about the place or the occasion were not revealed by her, it appeared to be an eatery, from the visuals. Williams was seen in a jolly mood cherishing some good time with her family and clicking pictures. But more than anything, what captured the attention was her remarkable attire.

Serena Williams turns up the glamor in stylish outfit at pre-Super Bowl  party in New Orleans

READ: Serena Williams’ Daughter Adira Now Has Her Own Instagram Just Like Big Sister Olympia

Williams was seen in a completely black formal outfit, with red stripes on top of it. In yet another picture she shared, the 23-time Grand Slam champion emphasized her blonde hair that perfectly complemented her looks. Further enhancing her looks were a wristwatch and some jewelry pieces, which Williams donned in style. This came just hours after she took to her social media to share a video where she could be seen with her family.

On Friday, February 7, 2025, Serena Williams shared a montage of sweet moments on Instagram. The video featured Williams and her father, ‘King’ Richard, husband Alexis Ohanian, daughters Adira and Olympia, and sister Venus Williams, as they all posed for the camera one after another. Now, with her latest pictures, she is setting a clear example of how to multitask efficiently. And when it comes to fashion, Serena Williams’ fondness is not new.

The 2023 CFDA Fashion Icon once revealed her admiration for fashion and said, “Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve used fashion as an outlet to express myself. Fashion gave me the confidence to step on the court and own who I was, and where I knew I was going.” And even after hanging up her racquets, she has continued to dazzle the fashion world. Her latest videos and pictures are just proof of the same.

And guess what? Williams’ iconic styles have not just mesmerized her fans, but have also turned out to be inspirational for many WTA Stars. One such name is Coco Gauff.

When Coco Gauff opened up on drawing fashion inspiration from Serena Williams

Coco Gauff captured immense limelight during Wimbledon last year and a major reason behind it was her attire. The 20-year-old was seen wearing a striking cutout at the mid-back with her honey-blonde braids completing her looks. That quickly drew comparisons with Serena Williams’ Wimbledon appearance in 2019. When quizzed about the same, Gauff opened up on how Williams inspired many in the tennis community.

Speaking to the press, Gauff said, “I think that Serena has just done every iconic dress’ fit in the game that unintentionally you can have something inspired by her.” Continuing further, she shared that although she did not intend to copy Williams, she did not mind the comparisons. “I feel like Serena is such an icon that everybody can have inspiration from her, like she’s the original,” Gauff continued adding, “I take it as an acknowledgment.”

 

Golf superstar Rory McIlroy isn’t entirely satisfied with the current state of the game – and would like to see five changes in particular.

The Northern Irishman has his sights set on seeing at least five significant rule changes in the sport as he plans to scale back his playing schedule come 2025. After a 2024 where he “hit a bit of a wall,” playing in 24 events and yet again not securing a major win, McIlroy is seeking some transformation within golf.

In particular, his second-place snag at the US Open, where he just lost out to Bryson DeChambeau, was a particularly hard pill to swallow. And as he gears up for a lighter load in 2025, The Mirror US has highlighted the quintet of rule tweaks McIlroy believes could be on the horizon.

Rory McIlroy says Trump's win could clear the way for PGA-LIV merger - Los  Angeles Times

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Introduce a shot clock

McIlroy, 35, recently joined forces with Tiger Woods to push Tomorrow’s Golf League (TGL), an in-studio, high-tech tournament that pits players against one another in a virtual arena. The duo announced TGL in a collaboration with the PGA Tour in 2022, and fans have been lapping up the novel format that puts celebrated golfers front and center in an exciting new way.

Quizzed about if TGL had any takeaways for PGA Tour events, McIlroy said: “Look, if you could somehow implement the shot clock in some way and be able to police it consistently, I think that would be a really cool thing.”

The 40-second time limit has injected a thrilling sense of urgency into the game, but McIlroy admitted it could be a challenge to apply under regular golfing conditions. He added: “Much easier to do in this controlled environment compared to a golf course that spans 100 or 200 acres.”

Ryder Cup selection

With the 2025 Ryder Cup on the horizon, McIlroy has also expressed his unease regarding the eligibility of Team Europe players who are now playing for LIV Golf. His concern is understandable, considering Jon Rahm’s crucial role in Europe’s triumph over Team USA at home in 2023.

European golfers wishing to partake in the Ryder Cup have to complete a minimum of four starts on the DP World Tour, which is tougher for some following its decision to suspend players associated with LIV Golf. While Rahm remains eligible to play on the DP World Tour amid his ongoing appeal against suspension, McIlroy has expressed his views that an official resolution is necessary.

“Jon is going to be in Bethpage in 2025 so, because of this decision, the tour are going to have to rewrite the rules for Ryder Cup eligibility, absolutely,” he told Sky Sports in 2024. “There’s no question about that. I certainly want Jon Rahm on the next Ryder Cup team.

“I’m going to miss competing against him week in and week out. He’s got so much talent, he’s so tenacious, he’s a great team-mate in the Ryder Cup.”

Fewer players

Last month, when asked about the PGA’s slow-play dilemma, McIlroy didn’t shy away from suggesting smaller fields are needed. That’s despite knowing it might ruffle some feathers due to its similarity to the controversial LIV Golf format.

“There’s a lot of different answers, but not every answer is going to make everyone happy,” he said. “Smaller fields would help pace of play, but that takes away playing opportunities from people and that’s going to p*** some people off.”

Tour card exclusivity

In line with other changes inspired by LIV, McIlroy has also supported the idea of issuing fewer PGA Tour cards, which is linked to trimming down tournament field sizes. And it may not come as a shock that he advocates for reserving competition slots for the truly elite performers given he has long fallen into that category.

“No, I mean, I’m all for making it more cut-throat, more competitive,” said the veteran in September 2024. “Probably won’t be very popular for saying this, but I’m all for less players and less tour cards, and the best of the best.”

Quicker tee times

The Irish great has also thrown his support behind the idea of reducing the interval between tee times to quicken the pace of play. With pace being a major concern in golf – especially during weekend rounds affected by poor weather – he suggests tighter scheduling could help.

“I think as well, the other thing is when we play this time of the year, the tee times have to be a little bit tighter together so that they can get everyone through with daylight and everything,” he said. “If you could be able to space the tee times out a little bit more, that would hopefully make things flow a little bit better.”

However, McIlroy was less adamant about this solution, acknowledging the potential for significant change is limited. Factors such as course design and shot length mean there’s only so much room to adjust tee time intervals.

“I think as well, nowadays most people go for par-fives in two, so you’ve got to wait on that. You’ve got longer par-threes,” he continued. “There’s a lot of different things that go into it. I don’t know. It seems like you can maybe improve it by 15 or 20 minutes, but that’s still a five-and-a half-hour round into a five-hour and 15 [minute] round. Is that really improving enough to make a huge change?”

On Friday, Tiger Woods committed to playing in next week’s Genesis Invitational, an event hosted by his TGR Foundation.

The Genesis is held annually at Riviera Country Club but was moved to Torrey Pines’ South Course this season due to the wildfires that devastated the Los Angeles area.

Woods, who hasn’t made a PGA Tour start since the British Open in July at Royal Troon, has dominated at Torrey Pines throughout his career. In all, he has eight wins including the legendary 2008 U.S. Open where he beat Rocco Mediate in an 18-hole playoff.

Tiger Woods celebrates after making birdie on the 18th hole to force a playoff with Rocco Mediate during the fourth round of the U.S. Open golf championship at Torrey Pines in San Diego June 15, 2008.

READ: 10 numbers to know as Tiger Woods commits to playing at Genesis Invitational, his first PGA Tour event since July 2024

Since undergoing another back surgery in September, Woods has played in the PNC Championship with his son, Charlie, where they lost in a playoff to Team Langer, and two TGL matches in January. At his Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, Woods said he wasn’t Tour-ready.

Well, it looks like he is now.

It’s hard to have any expectations for the GOAT at Torrey, but his course history at the historic venue speaks for itself.

Tiger Woods’ history at Torrey Pines

  • 1998: 3rd place, 11 under
  • 1999: 1st place, 22 under
  • 2000: 2nd place, 14 under
  • 2001: 4th place, 17 under
  • 2002: 5th place, 10 under
  • 2003: 1st place, 16 under
  • 2004: 10th place, 8 under
  • 2005: 1st place, 16 under
  • 2006: 1st place, 10 under
  • 2007: 1st place, 15 under
  • 2008: 1st place, 19 under
  • 2008 U.S. Open: 1st place, 1 under
  • 2011: 44th place, 1 under
  • 2013: 1st place, 14 under
  • 2014: 80th place, 6 over
  • 2015: Withdrew
  • 2017: Missed cut
  • 2018: 23rd place, 3 under
  • 2019: 20th place, 10 under
  • 2020: 9th place, 9 under

Canelo Next Fight: The Saul “Canelo” Alvarez rumour mill has been in overdrive during the last week in the boxing world, with Terence Crawford, Jake Paul and a plethora of other fighters mentioned as possible opponents.

The plans for Alvarez now appear to be taking shape with the Mexican signing a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season and the first opponent now being revealed as William Scull.

Canelo Next Fight: Start of Four Fight Riyadh Season Deal

Canelo Next Fight Officially Confirmed for Riyadh Season

Canelo Alvarez vs. William Scull - Undisputed Showdown Headlines Riyadh  Season Card on May 3

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The boxing world has been speculating what would be next for Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez but following the announcement of his Riyadh Season deal, attention then shifted to who would be the opponents. Turki Alalshikh head of Riyadh Season and the General Entertainment Authority announced via his personal X account that Canelo, the Ring, WBO, WBA, WBC super middleweight champion would face undefeated IBF world champion William Scull.

Alvarez-Scull will occur in the morning in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, allowing fight fans in the U.S. and Mexico to watch the fight in the evening.

It was widely reported that Scull was a potential opponent for Canelo and it’s now confirmed that Alvarez will have the opportunity to become the undisputed champion at 168 lbs once again.

Canelo Next Fight: Plans for After William Scull

Canelo has never been a fighter to overlook an opponent, and despite previously relinquishing his IBF crown instead of facing Scull, the Mexican will be fully ready for this opportunity to regain the IBF strap. Should he come through the May 3 fight, Canelo will face four-division world champion Terence Crawford for undisputed glory. The targeted date of September 13 at Allegiant Stadium still remains according to The Ring, but UNLV Rebels are still scheduled to play their home game against Idaho State at the Allegiant Stadium.

Apart from the Scull fight and the planned mega showdown with “Bud” Crawford in September, Canelo has two more bouts scheduled for 2026 under the Riyadh Season banner, with potential opponents like Dmitry Bivol and Hamzah Sheeraz mentioned.

With upcoming fights already set and more in the works for Canelo and other top fighters, it’s full steam ahead for the Riyadh Season train. This promises to be one exciting ride.

There was a party in Manchester on Saturday night to celebrate the last fight on British soil of Derek ‘Del Boy’ Chisora and over 12,000 fans serenaded the old warrior.

An hour or two earlier, in a corridor at the new Co-op Live Arena, Chisora had broken down in tears when he realised that over fifty pictures of his 48 fights had been framed. He was overwhelmed walking down his own personal hall of fame.

He was facing Otto Wallin, who had caused Tyson Fury all sorts of problems back in 2019, in what was the Briton’s 49th fight and the towering Swedish boxer played his role as the villain perfectly; he predicted a shock, a bad end to the Chisora fantasy and a knockout defeat, but in the ring, he came without a plan and even less desire.

Derek Chisora, with a cut and blood on his face, looks on while fighting Otto Wallin

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The crowd roared ‘Del Boy’ on from the moment he appeared on the stage, his face obscured by a Union flag bandana and his intentions clear as he howled his way to the ring.

It was, at that point, pure pantomime. Chisora is now a national treasure, which is one of the oddest twists in sport; the same Chisora has been banned, fined, ignored, knocked out, brutally exposed, but now, in his 19th year as a pro and his 49th fight, he is suddenly adored.

Chisora did manage to turn back the clock, fighting with a steady urgency behind his calculating assaults; he was smarter than normal, sharper and simply battered Wallin from corner to corner.

Suddenly, part one of his retirement tour started to look a bit premature; a few days before the first bell, the fight had been upgraded from a goodbye party to a final eliminator for the IBF heavyweight title. Seldom has Chisora looked so focused, it was a delight to watch.

Derek Chisora speaks to the crowd after winning the IBF world heavyweight title eliminator bout against Otto Wallin

‘Del Boy’, to use his nickname (he once owned and drove one of the original three-wheelers from the television series Only Fools and Horses), was cut in the fifth and it was a large and ugly cut tucked up under his right eyebrow. It bled relentlessly and the fun fight often had exchanges with Chisora’s blood flying through the air in a dramatic plume under the neon lights. It was one-sided, but it was still gruelling. The slugfest with blood theme was exactly what the midnight fans had come for – they wanted one last stand from the man that simply refused to follow boxing’s rules.

There was a halt to the action in the sixth when the excellent referee, John Latham, called up the ringside doctor to inspect the gash. The crowd fell silent but screamed when the doctor allowed the action to continue. An exchange of wild punches in the eighth will not be forgotten in a long time and in the ninth, Wallin went down when a delayed reaction sent him stumbling backwards before he toppled over. Chisora was irresistible, blood flying all over the place, his fists pummeling Wallin and the crowd singing out his name. It was an extreme atmosphere.

The pair often stood toe-to-toe and slugged away, and Chisora won every single exchange. Wallin should have moved more, should have used his boxing brain, but instead he became victim number 36 in Chisora’s long, long career. In the final seconds of the 12th and last round, Wallin was down again, crumpled by a selection of lefts and rights. The bell sounded as the big Swede struggled up and Chisora was already celebrating. One judge made it so close that without the knockdowns, Chisora would have lost. It was the night’s only sour note.

Chisora got the decision and then, in the centre of the ring, he held up pictures of the three men he wants for his 50th and last fight; Daniel Dubois, Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua. It was his wish list and stranger things have happened in the old game. There might be a fight in Africa, there might be a fight in Riyadh, but Chisora’s promoter, Frank Warren, also introduced a final dance at Wembley Stadium. Del Boy will need a long time to let his cuts heal, his body recover and then he can start the selection process to find out who gets the chance to fight him for the title of People’s Champion. That is a belt that all boxers secretly crave and right now it belongs to Derek ‘Del Boy’ Chisora. What a business.

Canelo Alvarez‘s next opponent before he takes on Terence Crawford has been revealed.

It was a chaotic week for Canelo, with the Mexican superstar seemingly going from one opponent to the other over the course of a few days.

His fight with Crawford was abruptly reported as being off, before it then emerged that Alvarez was in negotiations for a shock clash against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.

Canelo Alvarez vs. William Scull - Undisputed Showdown Headlines Riyadh Season Card on May 3

READ: Watch As Jake Paul ‘Exposes’ Canelo With Damning Evidence About Fight Talks

One final twist then saw the Paul fight fall through, with Canelo once again taking on Crawford in September whilst also signing a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season.

It meant that Alvarez was in search for an opponent in May before facing ‘Bud’ in September, and it has now been revealed by Saudi chief Turki Alalshikh that he will take on IBF super-middleweight champion William Scull.

“The legend Saul Alvarez Canelo will fight William Scull in undisputed fight in Riyadh on the 3rd of May … if he win the fight in September will be undisputed again.”

Canelo then needed just two words himself to respond to the announcement, as he looks to once again become undisputed super-middleweight champion.

“Let’s go!”

Alvarez was undisputed champion at 168lbs up until he was stripped of the IBF belt last year after choosing to take on Edgar Berlanga instead of mandatory challenger Scull. At the time, he was unbothered by the move, telling Million Dollaz Worth Of Game:

“There are levels. There are stars and there are superstars. They make the championship, not the championship makes them. Who is William Scull? I never hear about him. I’m not gonna do whatever they want. I’m gonna do whatever I want. Because I deserve it, because of all I have done.”

Scull then won the vacant belt with a victory over Vladimir Shishkin in October, and has been vocal ever since that he wants the fight against Canelo, who most certainly knows who he is now.

He will now have that chance to shock the world when he takes on the pound-for-pound star in May, but most boxing fans will now be excited about the prospect of the Canelo vs Crawford bout potentially being for undisputed status.

While Rory McIlroy is still grinding to get that long-awaited fifth major, his fellow Northern Irishman and mentee, Tom McKibbin, seems peaceful with the idea of never competing in one.

The 22-year-old made a bold move by ditching his hard-earned PGA Tour card and signing with LIV Golf, joining Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII. McKibbin secured a coveted PGA Tour card through his impressive DP World Tour performances. And guess what? He’s completely unbothered by what he’s giving up.

“The opportunity to get to play with guys out here more often and more consistently was definitely a huge factor. But I think I wasn’t in — I’m not in those majors anyway at the minute, so it really didn’t bother me too much,” McKibbin said about missing out on the majors and the Ryder Cup. For McKibbin, this $4.9M worth move wasn’t a last-minute, impulsive one, he’s been keeping an eye on LIV Golf since it launched and he surely liked what he saw. “I’ve watched this for the last couple of years since it started, and it’s something that I’ve really liked to watch, something very different, something that probably appeals to more people my age,” he said.

Rory McIlroy concerned about golf's 'divide' after Jon Rahm joins LIV Golf  - SportsPro

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LIV felt more exciting and more modern. It gave him a chance to tee it up with some of the biggest stars like Bryson DeChambeau, Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, and many more; “I think sort of the opportunity to get to play with these guys here and learn from some of the best players in the world week in, week out is something that appealed very, very nicely to me.” 

Now that he has teed off at one event, the LIV season opener in Riyadh, he has more clarity on how he likes the league. “I really liked the music. I think the music was super cool, and then that halftime show standing on the fourth tee watching that was pretty awesome. I think all of us in the group really, really enjoyed that.” Clearly, he’s thrilled, and so is his skipper. Rahm made that very clear after round one of LIV Riyadh.

It’s been amazing to get Tom as an addition. To get such a young player with his experience, already established and a winner as a professional multiple times is hard to come by. I’m thrilled that he decided to join the team or join the Legion.” Adding McKibbin will ensure a more consistent year for Rahm. You see, for the first time, all four scores will count in each round for every team, and the Spaniard believes his team will benefit from the change.

“I like it. I like it. I think it benefits a team like ours. I think we have four really strong players that are really consistent. So, I think it’s better for the league in general for everybody to matter every single day because Sunday is usually really, really fun. At least last year, it was incredibly fun in that regard.” He not only praised him he even shared how easy it was to get him onboard.

“We got very lucky that we were able to sign such a fantastic player at a young age. And if I’m really not mistaken, without a lot of opposition, right? That we were the only team really going after him. So thrilled to have him on the team. I hadn’t really played a lot. I think it shows he wanted to come here. You put him in a very unusual week. You’re in Saudi Arabia under the lights in a golf course that he hadn’t seen and hurt himself already.”

Indeed, Rahm is confident about McKibbin, but there’s one person who definitely isn’t celebrating this move—Rory McIlroy.

McIlroy and McKibbin go way back. Both grew up playing golf at Hollywood Golf Club, and the World No.3 has long been a mentor figure to the young star. So, naturally, when the LIV offer came knocking, McKibbin reached out to McIlroy for advice. And as expected, he wasn’t on board. “As soon as he got the offer, he rang me. We had a really good conversation and I talked to him multiple times over the course of December to get a feel for what he was thinking, and what he was going to do. All I could do is give my perspective.”

McIlroy who is also a LIV critic was quite straightforward with his stance saying, “I really like Tom as a person, as a player. I think he’s got a ton of potential,” McIlroy added. “I said to him, ‘If I were in your shoes, I would make a different choice than the one you’re thinking of making.’” For McIlroy, the biggest frustration seems to be that McKibbin worked so hard to get his PGA Tour card, only to walk away from it.

“I think, you know, working so hard to get your Tour card in the States, something that he did, to achieve that goal last year was a big achievement. But if I were in his position and I had his potential, which I think I have been before, I wouldn’t make that decision. But I’m not him. I’m not in his shoes. He’s a grown man at this point and can make his own decisions. All I can do is try to give him my perspective.”

Still, McIlroy made it clear that while he doesn’t agree, he won’t stand in McKibbin’s way. “It would personally for me it would be a little disappointing if it were to happen but again, I made it perfectly clear: I am not going to stand your way if you need to make the decision you feel like you need to make for yourself. But at the same time, I feel like he’s giving up a lot to not really benefit that much,” McIlroy said.

While not everyone has given him a thumbs up for his decision, at the end of the day, McKibbin is sticking with it. His career, his choice, right? Now, it’s up to him to prove it, and have no regrets later.

Two-time Olympic champion Bakhodir Jalolov has shared his ambitions for professional boxing.

With 14 wins (all by knockout), he announced his intention to fight only reigning world champions. This was reported by The Ring.

Jalolov expressed his readiness to challenge Oleksandr Usyk:
“My goal is to fight only champions. I don’t consider other options.”

Bakhodir Jalolov Calls Out Oleksandr Usyk for a Fight

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He stated that he would be ready to face Usyk after 2-3 months of preparation. Additionally, the Uzbek boxer is interested in testing himself against Anthony Joshua, as all three fighters are Olympic champions who have achieved great success in professional boxing.

It should be noted that Jalolov’s scheduled fight against French boxer David Spilmont on February 6 in Montreal (Canada) was canceled due to health issues. Spilmont holds a record of 16 wins, 8 losses, and 1 draw, with 11 of his victories coming by knockout.

Jalolov’s next opponent and fight date remain unknown, but his focus is solely on championship bouts.

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