Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
Six months removed from his surprise defeat by Nathan Heaney, former British middleweight champion Denzel Bentley exercised patience and punishment in equal measure to stop former sparring partner Danny Dignum after a trio of knockdowns inside two rounds as the 29-year-old marked his return in style. Continue reading “Too sharp! Denzel dices Dignum in two rounds, wipes slate clean on 160lb return”
Just days after officially announcing he’d leave the Ligue 1 champions on a free transfer this summer, France captain and PSG superstar forward Kylian Mbappe scored first but Toulouse had the last laugh as Carles Martinez’s clinical side punished the hosts – who made wholesale changes after their painful Champions League semifinal defeat on Tuesday – during a night of celebration. Continue reading “PSG 1-3 Toulouse: Les Violets clinical, spoil Mbappe’s final Parc des Princes farewell”
He’s found himself on the outside looking in – largely for reasons out of his control – but former UFC interim title challenger Cory Sandhagen is looking forward to the prospect of a title eliminator with considerable proportions on a third trip to Saudi Arabia this summer against highly-regarded contender Umar Nurmagomedov [10] at 135lbs. Naturally, it won’t be an easy task either… Continue reading “Sandhagen declares Nurmagomedov headliner on Aug. 3 a 135lb title eliminator”
World number one Novak Djokovic made his return to court with a straight-sets victory in Rome, though headlines afterwards centred around him being accidentally struck in the head by a water bottle from up above as he signed autographs post-match. After medical checks, the Serb is okay and will face Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo on Sunday as his pursuit of perfection resumes.
Continue reading “Djokovic well-rested, plans a successful summer peak as Rome fortnight continues”
Ahead of a proposed matchup against undisputed champion Naoya Inoue, IBF and WBO mandatory challenger Sam Goodman believes he’s seen enough from the Japanese star’s stoppage win over Luis Nery on Monday to provide him with the tools for an unlikely upset victory later this year. Wishful thinking? Continue reading “Anyone can be beat, insists mandatory challenger Goodman as Inoue bout next”
They did it again. On the verge of a first home defeat in 13 months, Real Madrid conjured up two goals in three minutes from an unlikely source – inspired substitute Joselu with a pair of poacher’s finishes – confining Bayern to a trophyless campaign for the first time in over a decade while punching their ticket into the Wembley final, where they’ll play Borussia Dortmund on June 1.
Surprise flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg exceeded expectations but left Rio empty-handed and heartbroken after going the championship distance against a savvy Alexandre Pantoja, who had to overcome adversity and some shaky moments en route to making a second title defence on his return to Brazil.
Continue reading “UFC 301: Pantoja tested but Erceg’s inexperience costly in flyweight title fight”
Things got off to a disastrous start. Yet they ended with a familiar finish as undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya Inoue responded well to early adversity – being caught clean and dropped for the first time in his career – to outsmart, bait and overwhelm two-division titlist Luis Nery through excellent punch placement on a memorable evening in Japan’s Tokyo Dome.
Continue reading “Undisputed 122lb king Inoue rallies after career-first knockdown, stops Nery in six”
Canelo Alvarez marked Cinco de Mayo weekend with his best showing for a while – vulnerabilities still lingering – logging an impressive decision win over unbeaten contender Jaime Munguia to make the fourth defence of his undisputed super-middleweight world titles, before insisting he remains the sport’s top dog as questions over a decline have persisted after recent displays.
Continue reading “Canelo drops Munguia, retains undisputed 168lb world titles again with UD12 victory”
Anthony Edwards picked up where he left off in Phoenix and posted a new playoff career-high 43 points, inspiring the Minnesota Timberwolves to snatch a gritty road win over the defending champion Denver Nuggets. Defensive length and a purposeful collective start helped as Chris Finch’s side begun what promises to be an intriguing playoff series with a morale-boosting victory.
Continue reading “Edwards’ 43-point night sees Minnesota draw first blood in frantic Denver series”
A month shy of five full years since their first fight, a competitive clash over ten rounds on Dillian Whyte’s undercard, Chris Billam-Smith and Richard Riakporhe headline their own show at Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park stadium on June 15. Their paths have veered vastly differently since that night in south London, but now they do battle again – one a defending world champion with Stateside ambitions, the other expects to prove he’s been the better man all along.
Continue reading “CBS-Riakporhe 2: June 15 promises jeopardy and much-needed clarity, in rematch for WBO world cruiserweight title”
Former middleweight champion-turned-analyst Michael Bisping made his feelings clear, as have many of the regular UFC watching public as far as the stakes for this weekend’s flyweight title fight headliner in Rio. Alexandre Pantoja should win emphatically, against a plucky contender given an unlikely shot of a lfietime to win gold just four bouts into his promotional stint. Will he? Continue reading “UFC 301: Bisping favours Pantoja to topple Erceg, Moicano questions low fight buzz”
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