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Francis Ngannou’s return to MMA action has been confirmed by the PFL and in a fascinating interview this week, ‘The Predator’ explained what went wrong in his last fight against the boxing world champion.

Almost five months ago to the day, Anthony Joshua landed one of the most brutal knockouts of the year against former UFC heavyweight king Francis Ngannou, on a PPV aptly named ‘Knockout Chaos’.

Well, it turns out that there was plenty of chaos in the days and hours leading up to that superstar spectacle, with ‘The Predator’ now making the accusation that some sneaky tactics were used to throw him off his game.

JUST IN: CRAWFORD SAYS CANELO IS DUCKING; ALVAREZ RESPONDS – ‘I’M THE FACE OF BOXING’

Francis Ngannou appeared as a guest on ‘The Diary of a CEO’ podcast with Steve Bartlett; a full two-hour long conversation that is truly one of the most fascinating and moving pieces of combat sports media in recent memory.

Towards the end of the episode, the discussion shifted to Ngannou’s boxing fight against Anthony Joshua from March 2024, with the former UFC champion stating that he believes some suspicious ‘tricks’ played on him prior to the opening bell.

“Honestly, in that fight, there was a lot of unfairness… Unlike the Tyson Fury fight [where] everything was straight and everything was fair, no sneaky stuff – but the second one, it was so messy.

“A lot of tricks [were played], like they would get me everywhere that I was going in that [fight] week, but I [would] have to wait at least one hour, one hour and a half for Anthony Joshua to arrive. But they always send a car to pick me up like that amount of [spare] time, even on fight day.”

Ngannou claimed that even on the evening of the heavyweight showdown, he was told to arrive at the Kingdom Arena several hours before he needed to. And that he found it suspicious how after being told by a producer that there was going to be a meaningful delay, Joshua still arrived exactly on time.

“I stayed in the locker room for four hours and a half, they sent a car to pick me up at 10:30 because they told me I was supposed to fight around midnight to 1 AM… And I was like ‘Okay good, this is how it works’, but you get to the arena and there’s a producer like ‘Oh we are running behind on the broadcasting so we might be fighting at 1:45.’

“I’m like ‘Okay, that’s not that bad, I’ve been training to fight in that time frame around 1 AM’… Bro, we are sitting there and watching Anthony Joshua arriving to the arena at 1:30 – like how can you tell me that?

AJ did this 5️⃣ months ago 💥#RiyadhSeasonCard: Wembley Edition #JoshuaDubois | Sep 21 | Sign-up at https://t.co/FoiaUucafv | @Turki_alalshikh pic.twitter.com/vPrUGmZQ4d

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) August 8, 2024

“You guys told me that I was going to fight around midnight, and [then] 1 o’clock or that it’s delayed and he’s now just arriving? Stuff like that they did a lot.”

When asked if he believes that someone was purposefully trying to make him frustrated and fatigued to put him at a critical disadvantage, Ngannou simply stated: “Yes, the whole week was like that.”

“I mean I think it’s a trick that I didn’t know before, but it’s a trick that they have in boxing, they have a lot of tricks, like during the week, my coach is a very calm person, but he was really mad and yelling about it.

“I didn’t know how deep the problem was until I get in the final set, then I’m like ‘Okay this is serious’ but then it was too late… I was sleeping, I was in the locker room warming up and falling asleep.”

Whilst Ngannou did acknowledge that Joshua was simply the better man on the night and that he holds no animosity towards the British boxing legend, he did note that the constant delays might have impacted the result.

“Personally, I take that loss, but I don’t put it in the context [of my career] … It could have been different – I still think that I could’ve beaten him, I don’t know.”

Speaking on Francis Ngannou’s fighting career; the iconic story continues as the PFL officially confirmed earlier this week that ‘The Predator’ will make his long-awaited return to MMA action on October 19.

His first MMA bout since a unanimous decision win over Ciryl Gane back in 2022, Ngannou’s return fight is certainly no easy task as he draws PFL king Renan ‘Problema’ Ferreira.

The Brazilian juggernaut is known as one of the most feared heavyweights in the world, standing at 6ft 8″ tall with a whopping 11 of his 13 wins ending via knockout; yet Ngannou has already compared Ferreira to the aforementioned Gane, both in terms of his stature and fighting style.

🚨 BREAKING 🚨

HE'S BACK!
👑The Return of @francis_ngannou
4⃣𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒
2⃣𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗧𝗦 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘
1⃣Gigantic night of MMA

and it all goes down on October 19th #PFLSuperFights pic.twitter.com/mDHCFd6PBp

— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 7, 2024

“In terms of style, I think he might be more like Ciryl Gane’s style,” he told Sky Sports Boxing.

“Moving fast and all that stuff, or even better [than Gane] because he has long range and he knows how to use it with very fast hands… He’s unique as an opponent.”

Francis Ngannou vs Renan Ferreira is scheduled for October 19, PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants and will be available to watch online via Pay-Per-View.

BOXING

‘I DON’T THINK HE’S GOT THE MONEY’ – HEARN EXPOSES MAYWEATHER’S WEALTH

Eddie Hearn has serious question marks over Floyd Mayweather’s billionaire status.

Mayweather is regarded as the richest boxer in the sport, as he retired with a 50-0 record. Since his retirement, Mayweather has been vocal about his business investments. Some of the ventures he has been linked with include real estate and gold mines in Dubai.

However, he continues to undertake exhibition bouts with question marks over whether he needs money. Mayweather will box John Gotti III on August 24 in a rematch of their first fight, which ended in a brawl. There is a danger that Mayweather will expose himself to harm in the latter stages of his exhibition career. While that may be the case, the boxer looked forward to continuing his career after retirement.

JUST IN: ‘Slay the king’ – Dubois intends to ‘make a fool’ of Joshua

“I was born to be a fighter, I’m gonna die a fighter at the end of the day. If I was really taking abuse in the sport or I was getting battered then I don’t think I’d be doing exhibitions, but I was able to surround myself with smart individuals, that’s what makes me smart, because I want to surround myself with a smart team and I’ve made a lot of smart investments. So, am I doing this for the money? Absolutely not. I’m doing it because this is what I want to do,” Mayweather

While Mayweather’s wealth appears extensive on social media, Hearn doubts that he is as rich as he claims to be.

“I don’t think he’s got the money he says, that’s what I think. I don’t think he needs the money but you know when you’ve got that lifestyle, when he’s spending what he spending,” Hearn said

Nevertheless, that would be tough to imagine. Mayweather topped Forbes in 2019 with $700 million. The boxer has also repeatedly said that he does not need to work again, as the focus was on building generational wealth for his children. The boxer is also known for being a big gambler. He recently placed a $5,000 bet on Isaac Cruz to lose to Jose Valenzuela.

The prediction was correct as Valenzuela became the new WBA Junior Welterweight Champion. Mayweather also predicted that Andy Ruiz Jr. and Jarrell Miller would end in a draw. That result became true, earning Mayweather a total win of $34,500. He has repeatedly confirmed that his desire for exhibitions is not motivated by money, as he shows no signs of slowing down.

“We just got a call about a three exhibition deal and it’s a crazy number. If I was taking abuse and I was getting battered then I think I’d step away. Am I doing it for the money? Absolutely not. I’m doing it because this is what I want to do. It’s not like I’m hurting. And the people are enjoying it, my team is enjoying it and it’s good to be able to travel to different places and train and shake hands with different people from all walks of life,” Mayweather stated

BOXING

‘Slay the king’ – Dubois intends to ‘make a fool’ of Joshua

DANIEL DUBOIS INTENDS TO ‘SLAY THE KING’ AND ‘MAKE A FOOL’ OF ANTHONY JOSHUA IN IBF WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT

Daniel Dubois has not held back in the build-up to his date of destiny, saying that he wants to “make a fool” of IBF world heavyweight title challenger Anthony Joshua. With Oleksandr Usky vacating the belt to face off once more against Tyson Fury, Dubois is ready to “slay the king” at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, September 21.

Daniel Dubois says he intends to “make a fool” out of Anthony Joshua ahead of their IBF world heavyweight title showdown.

Due to face off at Wembley stadium on Saturday, September 21, Dubois was in a bullish mood in a video released on promoter Queensberry’s YouTube channel.

Joshua vs Dubois official as Britons prepare for title fight at Wembley | The Independent

JUST IN: CRAWFORD SAYS CANELO IS DUCKING; ALVAREZ RESPONDS – ‘I’M THE FACE OF BOXING’

After former undisputed champion of the world Oleksandr Usyk vacated his IBF belt to rematch Tyson Fury in December, Dubois was upgraded to interim champion.

And the 26-year-old was unequivocal in his intentions for the bout, which he called “definitely bigger” than his defeat to Usyk in August of last year.

“I’m not here to talk foolishness,” said Dubois. “But I want to make a fool out of AJ by knocking him out and put all the doubters and the critics to sleep.

“This is definitely bigger than the Usyk fight. This is definitely the lion’s den, this one.

“Topping a bill with a major elite fighter, a guy that’s been up there for a long time, now I feel like it’s the right time to knock him off that pedestal and take the front.

“I looked at him as the guy that’s leading the way for British fighters, British heavyweights, British boxing.

“So he’s been the king for a long time, and now is my time. I need to dethrone the king and slay the king, and that’s what I’m going to have to do.”

‘Dynamite’ hit the headlines in June by announcing that he floored Joshua in sparring, when the latter had just turned professional.

Joshua strenuously denied the claims, though admitted that Dubois had “cracked” him.

But the latter insisted that he was tougher, both physically and mentally, than he was seven years ago.

Dubois said: “I’m a different guy now. Harder punching and stronger will and that’s what this fight is going to come down to, the spirit and the will of each fighter.”

Dubois’ last fight saw him defeat Filip Hrgovic via TKO and become the IBF interim champion.

After taking several heavy blows, Dubois grew into the contest and looked to have gained the upper hand before cuts above both Hrgovic’s eyes brought a halt to proceedings.

And he questioned Joshua’s ability to withstand the force of the Croatian and recover as he did.

“I won’t take them shots,” promised Dubois. “Hrgovic is completely different to AJ. The way he throws his shots, it’s smooth, he’s light and he’s quick. So it took me a while to get the hang of it.

“If you look at the fight properly I was slipping, just subtly sometimes and doing what I had to do to win and that’s what I’m going to have to do again.

“Break Joshua, break what’s in front of me down and get a victory by any means necessary. Could he take them shots Hrgovic was throwing?”

BOXING

CRAWFORD SAYS CANELO IS DUCKING; ALVAREZ RESPONDS – ‘I’M THE FACE OF BOXING’

Terence Crawford has hit back at Canelo Alvarez for not wanting to fight him.

Crawford has been chasing Canelo since becoming the first Undisputed Welterweight Champion of the four-belt era. Crawford moved to 154 and beat Israil Madrimov to become the WBA champion. The fight was seen as a step towards fighting Alvarez at 168. Crawford took the shots well, but the fight appeared closer than the unanimous scorecards suggested.

The Saudis contacted Canelo about making the fight. The Mexican dismissed those channels, saying he was not interested in making a fight. Crawford has now reacted by calling out what he perceived as double standards.

Terrence Crawford denies using Canelo Álvarez for Israil Madrimov promotion as he sounds off on Mexican over

READ: “I’m a threat to his legacy”: Terence Crawford blasts Canelo Alvarez over ‘antics’ and ‘excuses’

He highlighted how Canelo had been fighting smaller guys in the past. Amir Khan and Floyd Mayweather, to name a few. Crawford even highlighted how Canelo made his weight class by fighting guys at 155 pounds when he fought Khan.

“I think Canelo is more so nervous of losing to a smaller guy like myself than being scared of me. I just think he knows that I have the tools and ability to disrupt anything that he brings to the table. Canelo is very strong and punches very hard but you’re going to need more than just power and strength to beat Terence Crawford. And I think for a little small guy from 135 to go to 168 and defeat Canelo Alvarez would be a big tarnish on his legacy as well,” Crawford said

Canelo’s focus is boxing Edgar Berlanga on September 14. Alvarez defends his WBO, WBC and WBA belts after the IBF stripped him for not facing his mandatory William Scull. Despite not being undisputed, Canelo managed to secure himself a fight on Mexican Independence Weekend on September 14. It will clash with UFC 306, which holds the first combat event at The Sphere in Las Vegas.

Canelo has shown he can sell consistently regardless of whom he fights. While he may not hit the numbers Floyd Mayweathergenerated, Canelo can make big paydays without the need to risk facing the big names. After Berlanga, there will be serious question marks over his next opponent. Eddie Reynoso has hinted that Canelo could take up a fight in Japan.

That would likely be an exhibition bout or a fight against a lesser-known name. Alvarez can sell worldwide, which is why a Chris Eubank Jr. fight could materialize in the UK. Eubank Jr. was in contention for the Canelo fight before Berlanga got the nod. Canelo has clarified that he is the ‘face of boxing.’

“I respect everybody but I don’t like the way [Alalshikh] talks. It’s his problem, not my problem. I didn’t ask for a fight. If he wants a fight, he needs to do it my way, and not his way.Crawford knows now. He experimented 154 and he knows [what I would do to him]. Maybe he does 168 for a big check. Everyone wants to fight me for a payday. I am the face of boxing,” Alvarez stated

Terence Crawford has fired back at Canelo Alvarez: “It makes me laugh all Canelo is saying about size and how he won't get no credit. But Canelo's been fighting smaller guys his whole career. Canelo made his own catchweight for years. Canelo fought a smaller Floyd Mayweather,…

— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) August 8, 2024

BOXING

‘PEOPLE EXPECT A LOT’: JOSHUA AIMS TO DOMINATE DUBOIS

Anthony Joshua hopes to put on a dominant performance when he boxes Daniel Dubois on September 21.

The pair face off for the IBF Heavyweight Title as Joshua aims to become a three-time champion. AJ lost his belts when he suffered two consecutive losses against Oleksandr Usyk. Since then, Joshua has reinvented himself. He is with Ben Davidson, as the pair have worked together for Joshua’s last two fights. Joshua has stoppedOtto Wallin and Francis Ngnannou. While they are not the highest level of opposition he could have faced, Joshua was praised for bringing back his combination-style boxing.

Dubois has also reinvented himself since his Usyk loss. The Brit was stopped by the Ukrainian in round nine and failed to get up in time after the count. There was a perception that Dubois had developed a reputation for quitting. He took a knee in his defeat to Joe Joyce. But stoppage wins over Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic have allowed him to make history. Dubois is the current IBF Champion after Usyk vacated and was elevated. With Joshua being the favorite, he recognized that there was an expectation to deliver.

JUST IN: “;I’m a threat to his legacy”: Terence Crawford blasts Canelo Alvarez over ‘antics’ and ‘excuses’

“You can say so. Always developing, always learning. I do look back at my old fights as well. At the end of the day they were different types of opponents. I could have been beating a lot of lesser challenging opponents for many, many years.

“I could have been coming into my world title years now but I’ve done it early. So what I’m trying to say is that when I’m fighting guys, it’s hard to look unbelievable against someone that’s basically on the same level as you. World championship fights, they’re 50-50. But I get it. People, they expect a lot. They want to see dominance,” Joshua said

Joshua knows a win makes him mandatory for the winner of Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Uysk, giving him a shot at undisputed. But he cannot afford to make a mistake as he has done previously. Joshua faced Andy Ruiz Jr., knowing that a win would likely set up an undisputed fight with Deontay Wilder. Joshua made his American debut and almost stopped Ruiz.

But he paid the price for being too aggressive. Ruiz got on the inside and dropped Joshua. The Brit never looked the same, and he was later stopped. While Joshua won the rematch, the talk of a Wilder fight died down somewhat. The bout never got made as both men would lose their belts. Joshua recently confirmed that he aims to retire in the next two years, and it is now a critical period for his legacy. But Dubois is ready to cause an upset.

“I’m aiming to be the best. AJ has been the king for a long time but on the night I need to be the king slayer. I’m ready to let my fists do the talking. I’m 100% ready to go, focussed and to train like a beast,” Dubois stated

TENNIS

Roger Federer expresses concern for Rafael Nadal with career on the ropes

The retired Swiss legend expressed his concern for Nadal after revealing he has been keeping up with the Spaniard’s recent results.

Roger Federer expressed his concern for Rafael Nadal’s physical condition after the veteran star made it to the final of the Swedish Open in July.

The Swiss icon, who turns 43 on August 8, bid an emotional farewell from the sport in September 2022, citing the toll of injuries on his body as the reason behind his decision to walk away.

JUST IN: “Joy, happiness, sadness, disappointment”: Iga Swiatek full of mixed emotions following heartbreaking Olympic loss

Federer chose Nadal as his final doubles partner in the last match of his incredible 24-year career at the 2022 Laver Cup in London. That put their unbreakable bond on full display as the pair struggled to hold back the tears in their final match together.

Naturally, the nature of their friendship hasn’t changed even after his retirement, as Federer exhibited his worries for his friend in a recent interview when he kept up with his progress in Bastad.

Nadal, 38, had battled through to the final of the tournament in preparation for his Olympics participation before losing 3-6, 2-6 to Nuno Borges in the final.

But he looked physically spent in the final, and Federer feared for Nadal given how he has been plagued by injuries in recent years. Nadal himself admitted he was exhausted after failing to win a medal at the Olympics, having played doubles with Carlos Alcaraz for Spain.

After being informed Nadal lost the final during an interview with Vogue, Federer said: “He lost? Oh, come on. Three and two [the scoreline] Oh, God. I saw he was down 1-0, love-40.

“That’s the last time I checked, a few hours ago, but when I saw the score, I was like, ‘Oh, no… I hope his body is okay’.”

Some might expect tennis to be at the back of Federer’s mind when he is unwinding with his family.

But the opposite appears to be true, with the tennis icon revealing himself to a keen armchair fan in his retirement along with his wife, Mirka, and four children, Myla and Charlene, both 14, and 10-year-old twins Leo and Lenny, 10.

“I do check in with the game almost daily to see scores and results. Watching is a whole different thing — I love watching it when it’s on TV,” he added.

“We’ve been watching a ton of football as well — the Euros, and now the Olympics are coming up, so I’m going to watch all of that. I’m a big sports fan. But again, I’m always out and about and busy.

“But especially in the evening, when the day unwinds and I have time to sit back and maybe go on YouTube and watch some highlights, I tend to do that. I like to be up to speed on what’s going on, because the guys play nice, and I like to see what they’re doing.”

GOLF

Rory McIlroy’s Marriage Story Taking an Unexpected Turn as PGA Fans Floored

There is nothing “un-complicated” about the concept of divorce and the necessary steps it takes for one to get to the final decision of it. But rarely do you see an entire retraction of the filing…except for the famous Northern Irish PGA Pro Golfer, Rory McIlroy, in the last few weeks. What a wild ride he must be on, and just days away from the 2024 Paris Olympics.

When first diving behind the complex decisions Rory has made for his heart over the years, one would almost assume the worst. Back in 2013, McIlroy, about to tie the knot to Danish tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, had just sent out official wedding invites but to no avail. After just a 5-month engagement, Rory broke Wozniacki’s heart over a 3-minute phone call while on tour, where we can only assume cliche lines like “it’s not you, I just need to focus on my career” were given.

The tennis star was left shattered and led to believe that McIlroy wasn’t prepared for the idea of marriage, as he confirmed with US Weekly reporters at the time. However, he was suspiciously reportedly not only seeing his now-wife, Erica Stoll, just months after but was wedded to the former PGA employee in 2017.

READ: Amanda Balionis cryptic message after Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll spotted at Olympics

To give you a little background on the love story between the Irishman and Stoll, the two met on the PGA tour in 2012 while McIlroy was clearly still engaged to be married. Stoll, a New Yorker socialite and former PGA Manager of the Championship Volunteer Operations since 2011, found herself swept by the charm of the champion and shortly left her position after they married to travel the world with the golfer.

Though it seemed like the two couldn’t possibly find any reason to detach, as she is known to accompany the athlete on many tournaments, Stoll reportedly claimed to US Weekly recently that she “felt lonely in the marriage” and that “Rory was a hard person to be married to.” The two share a 3-year-old daughter, Poppy.

Now, one can argue that deep down Rory knew Wozniacki was not “his person,” and just simply dragged his feet on ending it with her. Honestly, not an uncommon choice made by many scared people on this planet.

However, due to recent filings, McIlroy seemed to be more of a creature of habit rather than a man with a plan. In June this year, McIlroy officially filed against wife Erica while on tour claiming the marriage was “irretrievably broken,” enforcing his prenup and requested joint custody over daughter Poppy. Just days after Mother’s Day, the filing came out of nowhere. Even worse, reports came out that he was seen getting cozy to yet another reporter, CBS personality Amanda Balionis. Stoll shared that she received papers coldly from a private investigator at their Florida home while McIlroy was away at a tournament.

While filming Netflix BTS docuseries Full Swing, in which the platform goes into the personal and professional lives of the men on the PGA, Balionis and McIlroy seemed to be getting “closer.” As Balionis is one of the main voices for the show, the two spent quite a bit of time together while filming and some reports even stated that the two were already dating as paparazzi photographed the two “hugging” on many occasions. The road for the married couple seemed ominous based on the facts, and, as we know, history tends to repeat itself…

But here’s the real kicker… despite the rumors of the two PGA love birds, the bad habits of the star and an official filing, McIlroy shocked the world with a statement on camera.

“Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realized that our best future was as a family together. Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning,” said McIlroy. A notice of voluntary dismissal was filed in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday, June 11. McIlroy chose to end the divorce plans, per documents obtained by Us Weekly, and the filing was reportedly closed out the same day.

Leading us to wonder if Rory had a change of heart for several reasons… the timing of the U.S. Open so close ahead at the time, a change of heart, their daughter’s well-being, Rory’s repetitive “bad boy” image… or all of the above?

All we know is that the two have yet to be photographed together since and we are all on pins and needles waiting to see if we will see Erica by Rory’s side representing Ireland in the 2024 Paris Olympics. McIlroy came up short at the U.S. Open without Stoll by his side, however, he was reported to have flown directly home to his wife and daughter following the loss.

Now, the question is: will his decision to continue his marriage to Erica work in the favor of Ireland in the Olympics? Only time will tell.

TENNIS

“Joy, happiness, sadness, disappointment”: Iga Swiatek full of mixed emotions following heartbreaking Olympic loss

Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek entered the Paris Olympic Games as the overwhelming favorite considering her prowess on clay courts, but her dream of winning gold for her nation was cut short in the semifinals, leaving the World No.1 devastated.

The two-time defending French Open champion returned to a familiar site to compete for Olympic gold, with the tennis event at the Olympics being hosted on the clay courts of Roland Garros. After breezing through the competition in the earlier rounds, Swiatek was eliminated by China’s Zheng Qinwen in the semifinals, destroying her hopes of capturing her first Olympic gold medal.

Although the 23-year would end up winning the Bronze medal, her disappointment was obvious immediately after her semifinal loss. Swiatek looked visibly upset as she left the court, and excused herself in the middle of a post-match interview as she looked on the verge of tears.

Joy, sadness, disappointment, pride" - Iga Swiatek reflects on emotional Paris Olympics campaign, calls it 'special' despite missing out on gold

READ: Carlos Alcaraz reveals what Novak Djokovic told him straight after Olympic heartbreak

Nonetheless, the World No.1 released a statement on social media a few days after receiving her bronze medal. Swiatek revealed she needed some time to process her emotions, but was thankful for all the support she had received from thousands of fans around the world.

“It’s been a while now, so I can now start to summarize this chapter… Joy, happiness, sadness, disappointment, satisfaction, dissatisfaction, pride and many other emotions, many thoughts… I gather these Games in my head and I can feel how full the experience has been for me,” wrote the five-time Grand Slam champion. “I will probably look back on these two weeks with more perspective in some time, but I realize many things, including the progress I have made since Tokyo, but also the things I can still do, the opportunities I can seize to become a better tennis player and a better person – first of all.

“But the most important thing for me is probably everything I have experienced here. It is a special time that would not have been possible without my team and my family. Thank you for everything you do.”

Swiatek is scheduled to return to competition at next week’s Cincinnati Open.

Ready to defend her Finals crown 👑

How @iga_swiatek secured her spot in Riyadh as leader of the #PIF Race to the WTA Finals 👇 pic.twitter.com/BjN3J7dFEs

— wta (@WTA) August 7, 2024

BOXING

“I’m a threat to his legacy”: Terence Crawford blasts Canelo Alvarez over ‘antics’ and ‘excuses’

The consensus pound-for-pound best had a lot to get off his chest.

Terence Crawford has heard everything he has needed to from Canelo Alvarez lately to believe that the Mexican legend perceives him as a “threat to his legacy.”

That’s the verdict Crawford explained on Shawn Porter’s “The PorterWay Podcast” on Wednesday as the two boxing greats had been linked for a possible mega bout, before Turki Alashikh decided to turn the page on it earlier this week.

JUST IN: “It Is A Different Story with Anthony Joshua”: Ahead Of Anthony Joshua Fight, Daniel Dubois Responds To Claims Over ‘Questionable Defence’

“It’s crazy and it makes me laugh with all the antics Canelo is doing and saying in the media about the size and he won’t get no credit,” Crawford began explaining on the podcast, referring to him being the smaller man who would move up two weight classes to 168 pounds to make the bout with Alvarez happen.

“But Canelo been fighting smaller guys his whole career,” Crawford continued. “Canelo been making his own catchweight for years. Canelo fought a smaller [Floyd] Mayweather, Canelo fought a smaller Amir Khan. He fought Jermell Charlo and I’m pretty sure he didn’t make as much money with all those guys except Mayweather — even [Edgar] Berlanga right now — that he will with me.

Crawford added: “But yet and still, he has all these excuses why he don’t want to take a fight with me. If it’s all about business, then you’re doing good business. If I’m easy work — I heard him say I’m easy work — if I was easy work, then you would take all that money that he’s offering you.”

As the consensus pound-for-pound best sees it, he believes Alvarez’s $200 million demand to fight David Benavidez and his $150 million request to fight “Bud” are very telling.

“That just lets me know right there that I’m a threat to him,” Crawford offered. “I’m a threat to him, I’m a threat to his legacy because it would be crazy for a guy that started at 135 to come all the way up to 168 — your weight, no catchweight — and dethrone you.

“He got that in the back of his head.”

Last weekend, Crawford became a four-division world champion as a result of defeating Israil Madrimov via unanimous decision and claiming the WBA super welterweight title. The 36-year-old admitted to “The PorterWay Podcast” that the thought of climbing up to 168 pounds to clash with Alvarez was his “motivation fight.”

Seeing Crawford needing to go the distance with Madrimov at 154 pounds, Alvarez recently suggested that “Bud” fighting a willing Teofimo Lopez next would be more appropriate.

Alvarez defends his unified super middleweight world titles against Berlanga on September 14.

BOXING

“It Is A Different Story with Anthony Joshua”: Ahead Of Anthony Joshua Fight, Daniel Dubois Responds To Claims Over ‘Questionable Defence’

Daniel Dubois has won the hearts of boxing fans around the globe for his likeable character and determination in the face of adversity – despite being previously criticised for a lack of grit in the past.

As the biggest fight of his life approaches, Dubois has addressed concerns that he takes too many shots ahead of a domestic dust-up against the hard-hitting Anthony Joshua.

‘Triple D’ was unsuccessful in his unified title bid against Oleksandr Usyk twelve months ago, taking a knee for the second time in his career and accepting a knockout defeat, much to the disappointment of British fight fans. However, those who were suspicious of his will in the ring were soon proven wrong, as Dubois bounced back with consecutive career-best stoppage wins of his own against Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic, the latter seeing him pick up the IBF interim title, which was later upgraded to the full world title.

JUST IN: Anthony Joshua v Daniel Dubois: Joshua’s Weight May Make A Difference

During that contest, many viewers took notice of how much punishment Dubois was subject to during the early stages of the contest, eating an eyewatering 35 power punches in the opening two rounds alone. Meanwhile, Joshua needed to land just five power punches to stop Francis Ngannou in February.

Consequently, former British champion David Price declared that if Dubois was as easy to hit against Joshua as he was against the Croatian, he would expect ‘AJ’ to get the job done without the judges’ intervention.

“He is easy to hit with a right-hand, we saw that in the Hrgovic fight, he was catching him repeatedly with the right-hand but he was walking through them. I think that it is a different story with Anthony Joshua and I think that ‘AJ’ is probably going to win late on.”

Whilst admitting that he took too many right-hands, Dubois boasted of how he fought through the fire and aims to do the same in six weeks’ time, before adding doubt as to whether Joshua’s chin could have coped with the same blows, in an interview with Queensberry Promotions.

“I won’t take them shots. Hrgovic is completely different to AJ, the way that he throws his shots is smooth, he is light and he is quick, he doesn’t load up or anything. It took me a while to get the hang of it but I found a way to deal with it. If you look at the fight properly, I was slipping, just subtly sometimes, doing what I had to do to win.

“That is what I am going to have to do again, break Joshua up, break down what is in front of me and get the victory by any means necessary.

“Could he [Joshua] take them shots that Hrgovic was throwing? Everyone has got an opinion. Let them get on with it. Now it is time to do the work and see what they [the naysayers] say after this one.”

Joshua-Dubois takes place at Wembley Stadium on September 21st, topping a blockbuster bill that features a plethora of British talent.