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Anthony Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) is “over,” according to Top Rank boss Bob Arum, who did not hesitate one bit when he said those words.

Times have not been the best for the former world heavyweight champion. He recently showcased a rather disappointing performance against Daniel Dubois(22-2, 21 KOs) at the Wembley Stadium in London. After witnessing his devastating loss, Arum did not mince words while sharing his thoughts about Joshua’s future.

The fight saw Joshua getting floored four times by Dubois. He was then knocked out in the fifth round, allowing Dubois to keep his IBF Heavyweight title. The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) later handed Joshua a 28-day suspension. While the suspension is a standard medical procedure following a knockout loss, which forces the fighter to take a much needed break.

JUST IN: Terence Crawford vs Sebastian Fundora delayed

Arum, however, felt that the break was unnecessary. “No, you don’t have an off night getting the sh*t kicked out of you that way. I just think AJ has been through a lot of wars. And I think it’s over for him as well as over for Wilder,” he said while talking to FightHub. With Deontay Wilder (43-4-1, 42 KOs) coming in after two consecutive losses against both Joseph Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) and Zhilei Zhang (27-2-1, 22 KOs), Arum even feels that it would be a good idea for the duo to face each other.

AJ’s promoter and Matchroom boss, Eddie Hearn, has a different plan in mind for his fighter. Speaking to TalkSport, he mentioned that he will be setting up a rematch between AJ and Dubois. “We have a fight with Riyadh Season. One of our options is to fight Daniel Dubois again, and our contract is with them. His Excellency Turki Alalshikh will deal with Frank and Daniel and make that fight happen. The terms will have to be agreed with them,” he said.

He further added that they had agreed to the terms and had an option for a rematch. Moreover, he stated that the rematch is a fight that Joshua is actually looking forward to. “Our meetings with His Excellency, he wants the rematch. AJ will always want the rematch. Daniel wants the rematch too. It’s the biggest fight for him, and they will fancy it,” he said.

GOLF

Tiger Woods sent vulgar message to golfer at President’s Cup

Tiger was brutally straightforward

Justin Thomas did not hold back the details he had with golf legend Tiger Woods during a dicey moment at the President’s Cup.

“It was in the alternate shot, and I just made like an eight-footer for birdie to stay tied in the match. We were in a really good match,” Thomas explained, according to Mirror. “So I had 16 tee shot, and it’s this brutal hole.”

READ: Charlie Woods Update: With Tiger Woods’s Return Doubtful, Father-Son Duo’s Long-Awaited Dreams Dealt Another Big Blow

“It’s this very narrow dog-leg left, and it just gradually dog legs the whole way. And I like to fade the ball off the tee, and there’s this damn tree that’s right off of the tee on the left that’s just right in my window … it’s a big point in the match. I need to get this ball in play.”

“I have the greatest iron player on planet earth on my team, but it’s such a long hole, I can’t hit an iron because it’s like a driver/five-iron kind of par four. And I never really ask Tiger anything in terms of layups or whatever it is, and that’s what makes him such a great partner. He’s just like, ‘look, you go play, I’ll go play, I’ll let you know if I need anything’.

“I call Tiger over. He’s like, ‘What? ‘ I’m like, ‘I mean, is there anything, like, this tee shot’s not very comfortable for me. Like, do you care if you’re further back or…”

Woods was blunt in his response.

“I don’t care what I have in, just put me in the ——- fairway.”

Thomas laughed off the interaction though.

“I was like, ‘Okay, that doesn’t make it any easier, but I appreciate it, partner. So I just teed down a low driver and hit like a little junior draw, and somehow hit the fairway… I’ll never forget that.”

It’s good to know that despite his recent struggles with his health, Tiger still has his sense of humor.

TENNIS

Jannik Sinner overtakes Novak Djokovic with impressive statistic as he sets up Carlos Alcaraz showdown

Jannik Sinner downed Bu Yunchaokete in straight sets in the semi-finals of the 2024 China Open to set up a blockbuster final with Carlos Alcaraz.

The world No 1 earned a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory against the 22-year-old Chinese wildcard to progress to the final of the ATP 500 event in Beijing for the second straight year.

Sinner converted one of the six break points he had in the opening set to earn the only break of the match after saving three break points on his own serve in an important fifth game.

READ: WATCH: Jannik Sinner’s lawyer speaks out after WADA appeal decision to clear world No.1

The Italian then won a tight second set in a tiebreak to hold off the impressive Bu — who has jumped from 96th to a new career-high of 69th in the ATP Live Rankings.

Sinner has now won 17 of the last 18 tiebreaks he has played in a staggering run that illustrates how remarkably well he has performed under pressure during his superb 2024 season.

By reaching the Beijing title match, Sinner has become the ATP player with the highest percentage of finals reached at hard-court events played since the start of 2023 (with a minimum of 10 main draw appearances).

The 23-year-old has now made the final at 13 of the 23 hard-court tournaments (56.5%) he has competed in since the beginning of last season.

He has overtaken Novak Djokovic, who had been top in this category with his six finals from 11 hard-court events entered (54.5%) in the same period.

Percentage of finals reached at ATP hard-court events played since 2023

Jannik Sinner – 56.5% (13/23)

Novak Djokovic – 54.5% (6/11)

Daniil Medvedev – 43.5% (10/23)

Carlos Alcaraz – 25% (4/16)

Alex de Minaur – 20% (5/25)

Sinner will face his biggest rival, Alcaraz, in a mouth-watering final at the China Open on Tuesday. The Italian prevailed 7-6(4), 6-1 when the duo met in the semi-finals of the same event last year.

It will be the 10th meeting between Sinner and Alcaraz, with the Spaniard leading the head-to-head 5-4 having won the pair’s two previous meetings this year.

Sinner is aiming to defend the title he won in Beijing in 2023, while Alcaraz is seeking a maiden title in China.

This will be just their second encounter in a final after the 2022 Umag title match, which Sinner won in three sets.

BOXING

Terence Crawford vs Sebastian Fundora delayed

There has been a lot of speculation in regards to what happens next with Terence Crawford.

Canelo Alvarez refused to rule ‘Bud’ Crawford out for his next opponent.

In the meantime, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) mandated Sebastian Fundora as the next opponent.

READ: WBA officially confirmed Gervonta Davis next opponent and fight date

Terence Crawford is the reigning WBO Interim Jr. Middleweight Champion.

Fundora, on the other hand, is the WBO Jr. Middleweight Champion.

The fight was to terminate the interim status and determine who would emerge as the king of the middleweight scene.

But now it seems that the wait will go on a little while longer.

The WBO have shared a press release today that explains what is going on.

On August 28, the WBO ordered the fight and gave both sides 30 days to strike a deal.

It’s notoriously difficult at times to get boxers to negotiate what the split will be on the revenue for each fighter.

That date would have run out on September 28.

However, according to the communications from the WBO, an email communication by Attorney Mr. Harrison Whitman, on behalf of Terrence Crawford, requested a 10 day extension of the negotiation period to continue discussion on the matter.

On the same day, Fundora’s promoter Mr. Sampson Lewkowicz agreed to the extension.

Therefore, there is now an additional 10 days for the two sides to come to an agreement.

The release is signed by the chairman of the WBO, Luis Batista Salas.

So it seems that both fighters need a little more time to work out the details for the fight.

With the 10 day extension now in place, the date for the fight will likely be available in just over a week’s time.

GOLF

Charlie Woods Update: With Tiger Woods’s Return Doubtful, Father-Son Duo’s Long-Awaited Dreams Dealt Another Big Blow

The PNC Championship isn’t where we see an exceptional display of skills, but also special bonds. At the tournament, parents tee off with their children to create a memorable moment on the greens.

John Daly is getting ready to play at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club; another golf legend is here to join him. No, it’s not Tiger Woods!

In the first week of September, Daly shared an update on Instagram where he confirmed his presence at the PNC Championship scheduled in December. Long John reshared an old clip of the PNC Championship and simply wrote, “Can’t wait. Coming soon. Daly double in December.” Now, Annika Sorenstam is joining John Daly. NUCLR GOLF shared a post on X and wrote, “Annika Sorenstam and son Will McGee commit to the PNC Championship in Orlando this December.”

READ: WATCH: Will Zalatoris on how Tiger Woods’ secret formula can help the average golfer

Amidst all this, Tiger Woods’s chances to play at the tournament are looking slim. Recently, Woods went through lumbar spine surgery for nerve impingement, and currently, he is “forward to tackling this rehab.” Last year, Team Woods finished in T5 after pulling an incredible comeback on the final day of the tournament. Although Tiger Woods indicated during the Open Championship that he would likely play in the PNC Championship in December, his recent surgery has disrupted those plans, making it highly unlikely he’ll compete in Orlando this December.

🚨☑️⛳️ #NEW: Annika Sorenstam and son Will McGee commit to the PNC Championship in Orlando this December pic.twitter.com/mydE9OruHD

— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) September 30, 2024

The Woods duo has never been able to win the PNC Championship, and it seems with other powerful duos confirming, and their confirmation still hanging out there, the dream might get postponed a year further. Annika Sorenstam, who joined the LPGA Tour in 1994 and boasts 72 tour victories and 10 major titles, is regarded as one of the greatest golfers in women’s history. However, at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, she won’t be competing as a legend but as the mother of young Will McGee. And who knows, this mother duo might create another memorable moment like last year.

Last year, when Sorenstam teed off with her son at the PNC Championship, it resulted in an unforgettable memory. After finishing T11 at the tournament, the mother-son duo was brought to tears. PGA Tour Champions shared a post on X captioning “An emotional interview with Will McGee and @ANNIKA59 after a special week @PNCChampionship.” In the interview, Will McGee said, “It’s the best week of my year and life,” while recalling the moment with his mother on the greens.

The LPGA legend said, “It’s so much fun; we had a good time together.” The pair were also on the on the verge of “happy tears” as they recounted the final day of the championship. Overall, it was an unforgettable memory for both of them, and they are looking forward to creating something worth remembering this time at the PNC Championship as well.

TENNIS

WATCH: Jannik Sinner’s lawyer speaks out after WADA appeal decision to clear world No.1

Jamie Singer, the lawyer of the Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner, has stated that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) wants to punish the reining world number one for a mistake made by a member of his coaching staff.

The 23-year-old is already regarded as one of the best men’s tennis players in the world, along with the likes of Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic.

Sinner has been in the news recently for the wrong reasons. The two-time Grand Slam winner tested positive for the banned substance clostebol on two occasions in March but managed to escape a ban. That was down to his counsel’s response in front of the three-member independent panel by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), where they claimed that the availability of the banned substance in the player’s sample was because of receiving cream from a member of the coaching staff.

When will Jannik Sinner know his fate? – chw-dumpling

JUST IN: Ahead of Coco Gauff ‘battle’, Naomi Osaka +15 makes another rankings breakthrough

However, things did not get easier for Sinner as on Saturday, WADA announced that it had lodged an appeal against the verdict in front of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) demanding ‘one or two years suspension’. Singer, who appeared in front of the ITIA during the previous hearings, was recently quoted in a report where he stated that WADA wants to punish Sinner for a mistake of his coaching staff. He was of the opinion that they were surprised by WADA’s decision to appeal against the verdict despite knowing that the case was ‘resolved correctly’.

“We were surprised too, to be honest,” he said. “After Jannik tested positive for Clostebol in an infinitesimal amount, the ITIA understood the sensitivity of the case and turned to an expert independent tribunal instead of ruling directly. We hoped that the experience of the three specialists of the Sport Resolution Panel, and their well-substantiated and documented judgments, would convince the parties that the matter had been resolved correctly. We are all aware that WADA has the full right to take this action, appealing was within its possibilities. WADA believes that he is somehow responsible for the actions of his team and for this reason they ask for him to be punished.”

Jannik Sinner hits an outrageous angle against Jiri Lehecka in Beijing.

Incredible movement to get up to the drop shot.

The softest little angle to turn the point on its head.

What. A. Shot. 🇮🇹🦊
pic.twitter.com/AcyHtfCHBg

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 30, 2024

TENNIS

Ahead of Coco Gauff ‘battle’, Naomi Osaka +15 makes another rankings breakthrough

Former world No 1 Osaka started the 2024 season outside the top 800 in the rankings after missing the entire 2023 season as she gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Shai.

She didn’t set the world alight on her return to action in January, but she has continued to put in the hard yards and she is starting to reap the rewards.

The 26-year-old has followed up her three-set win over 21st seed Yuli Putintseva with a 6-3, 6-2 win over world No 60th Katie Volynets.

READ: ‘Not a Good Sign for Tennis’ – Carlos Alcaraz Strongly Defends ‘Innocent’ Jannik Sinner Amid WADA’s Shocking Twist in Doping Saga

Having kicked off the WTA 1000 event at No 73, Osaka is set to jump to No 58 after the tournament and there could be another surge if she gets past Gauff.

“For me, I wanted to keep growing from my last match,” the four-time Grand Slam winner told the official WTA Tour website. “I was just trying to be really aggressive from the beginning. …I felt like I really shouldn’t care too much about my unforced errors rather than just keeping her on the move.”

Fourth seed Gauff reached the last 16 with a two-set defeat of Katie Boulter and Osaka highlighted her rival’s big strength.

“She’s very athletic obviously. For me, my strongest traits are being aggressive and also my serve,” the Japanese player said.

“So it’s definitely going to be a battle – who wants to take control of the point first? And I think it’s going to be me.”

She added: “I think it’s going to be a really cool test for me. She’s played really well this year. … I’m excited to play the match, and I know people are excited to watch the match.”

World No 2 Aryna Sabalanka is also safely into the fourth round after she defeated Ashlyn Krueger 6-2, 6-2 for her 14th consecutive win.

The three-time Grand Slam winner won the Cincinnati Open and US Open ahead of the Asian swing and will next face Madison Keys.

With world No 1 Iga Swiatek skipping the China Open, Sabalenka’s latest win has helped her to reduce the Pole’s lead at the top of the WTA Rankings to 1,164 points. If she wins the title, then the lead will be just over 200 points.

BOXING

Jake Paul criticises Mike Tyson request

Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson is shaping up to be quite the spectacle for Netflix.

The bout, due to take place on 15 November, is already getting a lot of interest and is sure to be a hit for the streaming platform.

Despite Tyson’s increasing age, he’s still a box office attraction.

JUST IN: WBA officially confirmed Gervonta Davis next opponent and fight date

Coupled with the following that Paul has, it’s going to be an event for sure.

The contest is set to be a money spinner for both men as they step in the ring and compete.

Questions are being asked around whether Tyson will be able to keep up with his much younger opponent.

With Jake Paul being 27, he has a 31 year advantage on his 58-year-old opponent.

Because of that, one of the requests from Mike Tyson’s team is that the rounds are 2 minutes instead of the more traditional 3 minutes.

That would seem to suit Tyson as it means he’ll be exerting energy over a shorter period of time.

But Jake Paul has had his say on the matter as he starts building promotional momentum leading up to the fight.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Paul criticises this request from Mike Tyson and says it’s going to make no difference to the eventual outcome.

“It’s interesting, I’m just, I’m just basing s*** off of facts. He’s like, “watch your shape, watch your shape”. I’m like, alright, but you watch it. It could be to his advantage. I think it’s also smart that he’s doing that. I’m fighting on all of his rules and what he wanted. He wanted it to be a pro fight. He wanted eight, two-minute rounds. So I’m giving him everything he wants. I’m going to his playground, and I’m going to beat his a**.”

From his comments, it’s quite clear that Jake Paul is confident in what he’s going to be able to do in the fight.

Of course, this matchup has not been without controversy.

Many commentators have criticised the clash due to the age difference between the competitors.

Towards the end of his professional career, ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson was taking some heavy losses and getting stopped early.

Jake Paul is still an impressive puncher and could do some damage.

At least the shorter rounds will mean less punishment potentially meted out in what is a glorified exhibition match.

BOXING

WBA officially confirmed Gervonta Davis next opponent and fight date

In recent months it has emerged that Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis would be making a second appearance of the year during December but now the man in the opposing corner has been officially confirmed.

Davis was upgraded from WBA (Regular) lightweight champion to full world champion late last year and made a first defence of his 135lb crown when he halted Frank Martin with one of the knockouts of the year back in June.

Since then, ‘Tank’ has been linked with a plethora of names but unification bouts against either Shakur Stevenson (WBC champion) or Vasyl Lomachenko (IBF champion) have stood out as the most attractive – both to Davis and boxing fans around the globe.

READ: Anthony Joshua suspended from boxing

Yet, Stevenson appears to be tied up in a showdown with mandatory challenger William Zepeda, whilst ‘Loma’ has flat out refused to face the Baltimore-based power-puncher due to a lack of ‘motivation’.

As a result, Davis has been left searching for a suitable opponent for his December date, which could see David Benavidez Jr. appear on the undercard, and recent rumours suggested that WBA super-featherweight champion Lamont Roach would be the man to step up in weight and accept the challenge.

Today, the WBA have officially announced that they have granted Roach with special permission to move up to 135lbs and face Davis, outlining that he would have five days to decide whether to continue campaigning at super-featherweight or permanently move up to lightweight and keep his title – should he be successful against the self-proclaimed ‘face of boxing’.

“The World Boxing Association (WBA) Championships Committee has granted special permission to super featherweight world champion Lamont Roach Jr. to move up in class to face Gervonta Davis for the lightweight championship on December 14.

“NoXcuse Boxing Promotions sent the formal request on September 13, which was received by the committee to be considered and consulted with the team of Albert Batyrgaziev, who is the mandatory 130 lbs. challenger.

“After the respective analysis and based on the internal rules of the organization, it was decided to grant the request to Roach under certain conditions.

“If Roach beats Davis in the fight, he will be given five days to send his decision to the WBA on which of the two titles he will keep and defend. On the other hand, if he were to lose the bout, he will be required to fight the official 130-pound challenger within 120 days of the Davis fight.”

The card will take place on Amazon Prime Video PPV on December 14th, with whispers that David Benavidez’s now confirmed showdown with Jesse Hart will take place as the highlight of the undercard.

GOLF

WATCH: Will Zalatoris on how Tiger Woods’ secret formula can help the average golfer

By Admin September 29, 2024

Tiger Woods had a secret formula for winning tournaments – and Will Zalatoris has a version of it which can be applied to all 12 handicap golfers.

The Californian man knows all about building foundations that allow a golfer to improve himself.

After turning professional in 2018, Zalatoris failed to earn a Korn Ferry Tour card at Q School but he doubled down on Monday qualifying and earned his card that way.

READ: Tiger Woods accused of ‘unlawful hijacking’ of logo for his golf brand

A year later he was a winner on the second tier; a year after that he was playing on the PGA Tour.

At every stage he added to his game and got better.

He’s now finished top 10 seven times in the major championships and was a winner of the 2022 FedEx St Jude Championship.

In this Instagram video he explains how an amateur golfer can also make solid progress to become a better golfer.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cure My Swing | Golf Tips | Golf Drills (@curemyswing)

“How do you get from a 12 to an 8?” he asks. “Make less doubles.

“How do you get from an 8 to a 5? That’s when we need to get a little bit better with the short game, whether that’s better with chipping or less three putts.

“How do you get from 5 to 0? Now all of a sudden, that’s hard. Going from 10 to 5 versus 5 to 0 is, like, light years difference.”

If becoming a scratch golfer might be beyond most golfer, Zalatoris still insists three rules will help you get better.

“My three big things I always tell people are get on the greens as fast as you can, take more club, and just eliminate doubles.”

Then he reveals that Tiger Woods had his own magic rules.

“Tiger had this thing that he did where it was no three putts, no doubles or bogeys on par-5s, no missed up-and-downs, and no penalty shots.

“And if he did one of those things he won like 90% of the time – that’s one over the length of a tournament.”

Zalatoris laughs and says: “It’s hard, but essentially what I’m saying is, ‘Here is your 12 handicap version and here’s Tiger’s version which is insane but that just gives you the perspective.’”

Ultimately he concludes with a really simple message: “It makes you realise that good golf is not super sexy.”