Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
Not for the first time, WBA lightweight world champion Gervonta Davis has revealed a readiness to step away from the sport at the peak of his powers. 30 this year, a young father and aware of the sport’s tolls on his mental health – not to mention the physical sacrifices – this show of maturation has been long overdue. It doesn’t mean anyone’s ready to see him retire just yet, though. Continue reading “Gervonta Davis’ maturation feels long overdue – retiring in 2025 feels premature”
Richardson Hitchins declared he was on another level to Liam Paro, but needed to go prove it. That’s exactly what he did, earning a deceptively comfy SD12 (116-112 x 2, 111-117) victory over the now-former light-welterweight champion to seize the IBF world title and realise his championship aspirations three weeks before Christmas. Now though, comes the hard part heading into 2025. Continue reading “Hitchins humbles Paro in Puerto Rico to clinch IBF light-welterweight world gold”
Denzel Bentley will get a second crack at world championship gold in 2025 after outboxing Brad Pauls to defend his #1 WBO world ranking, snatching the British middleweight strap – as well as two other titles – after a tense 12-round affair, headlining a busy night’s action as Queensberry took their fruitful Magnificent Seven concept down to the nation’s capital three weeks before Christmas. Continue reading “Three-time! Bentley drops Pauls in UD12 win, reclaims British middleweight gold”
Emma Raducanu’s injury and fitness woes have been a recurring theme throughout the 2021 US Open champion’s young pro career to date, though the Brit, who turned 22 last month, spoke encouragingly about hiring a full-time strength-and-conditioning coach in highly-rated Yutaka Nakamura as she looks to become one of the tour’s fittest players and fulfil her potential long-term. Continue reading “Raducanu has renewed goals after hiring renowned fitness coach Yutaka Nakamura”
Unbeaten light-welterweight contender Richardson Hitchins (19-0, #1 IBF) finally gets his chance centre-stage against Liam Paro on Saturday night in Puerto Rico and while the machismo has seemingly diluted any goodwill between the pair, the Brooklyn-born challenger respects a world champion he believes just isn’t good enough to match him down the stretch. Time will tell. Continue reading “Hitchins does rate IBF champion Paro; insists he’s a better boxer and will show it”
Sean O’Malley no longer the bantamweight king? No problem. Alexandre Pantoja admitted he’d been contemplating a move up to 135lbs, but now there seems to be a changing of the guard, the Brazilian is happy to reign over the flyweight division for as long as possible – ala recently-retired Demetrious Johnson, racking up title defences to solidify his legacy as one of the best ever. Continue reading “UFC 310: Pantoja pledges to rule flyweight for a long time, debutant Asakura awaits”
Eager for a long-awaited change in fortunes among the elite, Australian Open quarterfinalist Hubert Hurkacz announced he’d be adding eight-time Major champion Ivan Lendl and Olympic gold medallist Nicolas Massu to his coaching team for 2025. Following another second-round exit at Flushing Meadows in August, he parted ways with Craig Boynton after their five-year partnership. Continue reading “Hope for Hubi? Hurkacz unveils new coaching team – Lendl and Massu for 2025”
After an eight-month absence through a freak injury and other commitments, former EBU European light-welterweight champion Adam Azim has already tabbed his second fight in three-and-a-half months as the unbeaten contender bids to win IBO world gold at 140lbs against former IBF world titleholder Sergey Lipinets, headlining a BOXXER show at Wembley Arena on February 1. Continue reading “Adam Azim vs. Sergey Lipinets for IBO light-welterweight world title on Feb. 1”
After an underwhelming campaign by his exceedingly high standards, 24-time Major champion Novak Djokovic declared a readiness to challenge the world’s top two players in Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at Grand Slams again as the scene of his most successful event returns centre-stage in Melbourne next month. At 37 though, is now too late for another late career renaissance? Continue reading “Djokovic defiant once more, but is he biting off more than he can chew?”
The two-time Major champion and former world no. 1 is right to feel aggrieved about the differences in treatment after her anti-doping violations compared to others like Iga Swiatek recently. However while she’s still attempting to build back to levels we’ve become accustomed to seeing from her, now 33 and with more than two years’ inactivity, it’s a more draining task than it once was. Continue reading “Halep’s right about Swiatek’s small ban but that won’t change her own past”
Many expected this to be tactical and tense over twelve rounds. Instead, Olympic champion Galal Yafai wasted no time with a clinical showing en route to the seventh stoppage win of his career, clinching the WBC’s interim world flyweight title after a dominant display to banish Sunny Edwards’ revival ambitions. His ex-amateur rival announced an immediate retirement post-fight. Continue reading “Yafai stops Edwards in six to win WBC interim flyweight world title, rival retires”
Just weeks after departing Manchester United, Ruud van Nistelrooy has been appointed as Leicester’s new manager and inked a contract until the summer of 2027 to succeed a struggling Steve Cooper, as the Foxes look to stave off an almost-inevitable Premier League relegation battle over the coming months. Continue reading “Leicester unveil Ruud van Nistelrooy as their new head coach, succeeding Cooper”
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