Catégorie : Sport News

Influencer boxing has come a long way from its early days as a novelty act. What started as a sideshow has now turned into big business, with influencers and YouTubers making waves as serious contenders in the sport. Now, Anthony Taylor has stepped up to claim his spot among them, confidently declaring himself, alongside KSI and the Paul brothers, as one of the kings of influencer boxing today.

It’s a bold claim, but Taylor is ready to back it up.

Anthony “Pretty Boy” Taylor, stepped into the boxing ring professionally on June 1, 2017, facing Donte Stubbs in a bout that ended in a split-decision loss. Since then, he’s built a record of 3 wins, 3 losses, and 0 draws, with 2 of those victories coming by knockout. 

Standing at 5’7″ with a 66.5-inch reach, Taylor fights in the light heavyweight division. His last match was on August 24, 2024, at Dublin’s 3Arena, where he secured a win against Gabriel Silva.  Beyond boxing, Taylor has also made a name in MMA, boasting a 7-5-0 record, and has become a notable figure in influencer combat sports circles.  

While Taylor is a big name, putting himself alongside the likes of KSI, Logan, and Jake Paul is a bit of a stretch, to say the least. At least if Jake is included in that list. Of the four mentioned names, he is the biggest star by a long shot, especially after his fight with Mike Tyson that saw gate records set by Canelo Alvarez being broken.

However, the fight wasn’t much to look at. Paul failed to KO a flailing Tyson, who at 58, looked his age and should have never been out there in the first place.

Tyson reveals concerning details about Paul fight 

Tyson says he doesn’t even remember much of his fight against Paul last month in Texas—and honestly, it is a thought shared by many who watched him struggle for the entire duration of the fight.

The eight-round match was riddled with streaming issues, dismissed by Netflix as “online chatter,” but still controversial enough to stir up legal drama.  

However, unlike most people who watched the fight that night, Tyson actually got hit in the head and quite a bit despite Paul’s faux ‘mercy’.

“I kind of blanked out,” Tyson told Fox Sports Radio.

“I remember Jake doing some kind of bow after the first round, and that’s it. The next day, I woke up sore—my chest, my stomach—and asked my wife, ‘Why did I do that?’ I don’t know what the hell happened.”

It sure looked that way during the fight, which ended in a lopsided loss for Tyson. Still, the 58-year-old isn’t throwing in the towel on fighting just yet, leaving the door open for future callouts from fellow legends in what’s becoming an endless parade of boxing spectacles.

Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire, one of Bellator’s most decorated champions, has had enough of waiting on the sidelines. Frustrated with his lack of bookings and stagnant career, Pitbull has been vocal about his desire to move on, even asking Bellator to cut him loose. Now, it seems he’s ready to make the leap to the UFC. 

UFC welterweight, Gilbert Burns responded to a tweet by a journalist providing an update on Pitbull’s current situation with the PFL and his desire to join the UFC and claimed, 

“That would be amazing to have @PatricioPitbull in the @ufc about time!”

Pitbull reacted to his comment confirming his interest in the UFC and that he would be there soon. He said,

”I’ll be there pretty soon, my friend. Thank you @GilbertDurinho.”

Freire is clearly done with the chaos at Bellator since PFL took over in late 2023. The featherweight champ has only fought once in the past 13 months, with canceled fights and broken promises piling up.

A planned rematch with Chihiro Suzuki fell through when Bellator’s Japan event was scrapped, leaving Freire sidelined again. He’s fed up with the lack of action and says it’s time to move on.

While proud of his Bellator accomplishments, Freire believes the promotion is struggling under PFL’s management and fears it could spell trouble for fighters outside the UFC looking for solid opportunities.

Dana White reacts to fighters wanting to jump ship

At the UFC 310 post-fight press conference, Dana White was asked about Pitbull and his interest in leaving the PFL to join the UFC. Instead of directly addressing whether Pitbull might join his roster, White took the opportunity to throw some shade at the PFL. 

“For months now, all we’ve been hearing about is the PFL,” White said, clearly unimpressed.

“They’re canceling events left and right, fighters aren’t getting fights, and you can see what’s happening—they’re running out of money. When things start falling apart like that, you’re going to have people wanting to jump ship.”

White hinted that Pitbull might not be the only one considering a move, adding,

“These guys just want to fight. If they’re not getting booked, they’ll start looking for other options. We’ll see how it all shakes out as we head into 2025.”

Do note that White’s statements regarding the PFL should be taken with a grain of salt, thanks to his frequent criticisms about any mixed martial arts promotion that is not the UFC.

Rob Gronkowski doesn’t spend his NFL Sundays on the gridiron anymore, but he’s still in league circles. The future Hall of Fame tight end has acclimated to a FOX Sports’ studio role since retiring in 2022. In that time, he has gotten close to four-time Super Bowl champion Terry Bradshaw.

During his Dudes On Dudes podcast with Julian Edelman, “Gronk” talked about sharing the set with Bradshaw. He noted the 76-year-old Hall of Famer brings tremendous energy to the job and has helped him grow as an analyst.

“Nothing is stopping that guy… whatever gets in his path, he just keeps climbing over it… he’s always ready to go, 24/7. I’m 35, and I look at him sometimes throughout the full day at FOX, and I’m getting tired. Terry? Never getting tired. Just always ready to go… always on point… he’s just immaculate. And I love learning from him, and I love being under his wing. And I love working with him.”

Bradshaw, like Edelman’s and Gronkowski’s primary quarterback – Tom Brady – wore No. 12 in his playing career. He also, at one time, shared Brady’s name well before the legendary New England signal-caller reached the professional ranks.

Before Brady, Joe Montana, or Patrick Mahomes stepped on the scene, Terry Bradshaw was the NFL’s biggest winner. He was the first quarterback to win four Super Bowls and is still the only signal-caller to claim back-to-back Super Bowl victories twice. Anything that happened to him, or in his general vicinity – a la Mahomes today – was newsworthy. This forced him to take drastic measures for privacy.

Terry Bradshaw once used “Tom Brady” as a pseudonym

According to Edelman, one of those moments came ahead of Bradshaw’s final professional season. Bradshaw played through “torn muscles and tendons in his passing elbow” the year prior (1982) and needed surgery to repair them. To keep the press from finding out, hospital staff checked him in as “Thomas Brady.”

“Brady” underwent a successful operation, but tried returning sooner than recommended and reinjured himself. The only game he played that year was Pittsburgh’s regular-season finale, a 34-7 triumph over the New York Jets. Bradshaw completed 62.5% of his passes (5/8) for 77 yards and two touchdowns but aggravated his elbow ailment again in the process. He then retired at age 35.

Bradshaw doesn’t often get mentioned in conversations about the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks. He won his fourth Lombardi Trophy at 31 years old, sooner than Montana (33) and Brady (37). Had he listened to his doctors, he could have won a fifth or even sixth championship.

Unfortunately for Bradshaw, that didn’t happen. His statistical profile doesn’t stack up with that of other all-time greats, but nobody can dispute him being the greatest winner of his era. Even though he and Brady don’t actually share a name, there’s no disputing they have that in common.

Former Alabama 4-star recruit Keanu Koht is in some deep trouble. He entered the NCAA transfer portal after his suspension by Kalen DeBoer and the program. He was apparently suspended for allegedly sending unsolicited inappropriate pictures to DeBoer’s oldest daughter. Cam Newton during the latest episode of 4th&1 reacted to the news, giving his honest opinion on the matter.

Cam agreed with Alabama suspending Koht for his lewd behavior. He agreed that everyone has to pay the consequences for their actions. According to him, Keanu’s behavior is extremely regrettable and reeks of desperation.

“I don’t care if he was my son or my daughter, his as* is gone. But we are also having a come to Jesus party. Everybody has to have a consequence for every reaction or action. It’s extremely satanic. That is desperate behavior.”

Newton questioned Koht’s ability to woo the opposite gender directly by exchanging pleasantries and talking to the person. He noted that guys before the age of social media took pride in chasing after someone to begin a relationship. Talking to someone and gauging their interest used to be an art, that is now lost. The boys nowadays don’t know how to communicate and behave.

Koht apparently sent a picture of his genitals to DeBoer’daughter on Instagram, with a lewd message along with it- saying, – “You want this horse.”

He was forced to pack his bags and enter the transfer portal following the incident. Although they only suspended him, Keanu knew he wasn’t going to get any game time.

The 6’4, 242 pounds Linebacker played four seasons for Crimson Tide under Saban and DeBoer. With two years of eligibility still left, he will now play for Vanderbilt from the 2025-26 season. Therefore, he chose to transfer and found himself another team in the SEC in a short period.

Grigor Dimitrov gave tennis enthusiasts a lot of good memories in the 2024 season at the age of 33. Dimitrov won the Stockholm Open and made the finals of the Miami Open this year. He also became a part of the 9-member club to make it to the quarterfinals of all Masters 1000 tournaments and Grand Slams.

Besides his achievements, the person that Dimitrov has become has impressed many. As a result, he won the ATP Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship of the Year Award, an award which has previously been won by the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz. This award is decided by the players on the ATP Tour after they receive the nominees from the International Tennis Writers Association, who are basically the jury.

It is a possibility that Dimitrov, through his foundation in Bulgaria, is helping in promoting tennis in the Balkans. The fact that he was able to convince Novak Djokovic to play against him for his charity a few months ago, was a masterstroke.

Recently, the World No.10 was bold in speaking up about the fact that he has suffered from mental health issues many times in his career, making it an important thing to talk about and combat.

Dimitrov was backed by the likes of Stefanos Tsitsipas for his take, as not many players would have the courage to slam administrators for their way of scheduling.

The fact that Dimitrov is amongst the few active players from the 2000s era, which was dominated by Federer and Nadal, makes him a senior statesman on the ATP Tour now. But 2024 was not the only year in which Dimitrov exemplified sportsmanship to such a level that he deserved to win the award more than once.

Dimitrov’s top moments of sportsmanship over the years

It would be fair to say that the term ‘Dimitrov 2.0’ seems to be media-made in 2024 because of him breaking his 7-year streak of winning an ATP title, which was at the Brisbane International in January. What added to the glitter is that he made it to the US Open quarterfinals for the first time in 5 years.

However, when it comes to his sportsmanship, Dimitrov has been a quality guy. At the United Cup 2023, the Bulgarian forced the chair umpire to overturn a foot fault which his opponent, David Goffin was accused of doing by the line judge. Dimitrov asked Goffin to serve again as he believed the decision was ‘b**s***’.

In 2021, TennisTV came up with a compilation of Dimitrov’s 6 sportsmanship moments which can never be forgotten. One was at the Miami Open 2014 when the crowd chanted ‘Grigor, Grigor!’ and applauded him for escorting an unwell ball girl to the sidelines and seeking medical help for her, providing her with a fresh towel meant for him, as well.

In the Brisbane International 2018, Dimitrov famously ran over to the other side to the net immediately after his opponent, Kyle Edmund of Great Britain injured himself badly during one of their rallies. The Bulgarian star, along with Edmund’s physio, helped him walk back to his bench and allowed a medical timeout for the same.

The only plausible theory is that Federer and Nadal were much bigger stars in their pomp, who had the aura of superstars when they walked out to the tennis court or even any room for that matter. And yet, they exuded positivity and grace, making them role models for their opponents.

Had the ATP Sportsmanship Award been shared, Dimitrov would have been a prime candidate to split the honors even with those big names. In this matter at least, he deserves to be called ‘Baby Federer’.

Much Premier League attention will be on Liverpool vs Fulham on Saturday as the Reds look to improve their grip on top spot of the table. The Cottagers will provide stern opposition, however, after their recent 1-1 draw with Arsenal last weekend. Here’s where you can watch Liverpool vs Fulham around the world on Saturday.

Liverpool continued their unbeaten record in the UEFA Champions League earlier this week as they beat La Liga side Girona 1-0 in Spain thanks to Mohamed Salah’s penalty.

Their encounter with Fulham on Saturday presents a different kind of test but it is the Merseyside team who have the most impressive record in this fixture in recent seasons. The Cottagers have won just one of their last fourteen meetings with Liverpool in all competitions and in all honesty, they could not be playing the Premier League leaders at a worse time.

Marco Silva’s side have struggled for goals so far this campaign and midfield kingpin Andreas Pereira looks out of sorts to say the very least. The former Manchester United man has just one goal in 14 appearances in total.

Alex Iwobi and Raul Jimenez both have five goals to their name in 2024/25 and Mohamed Salah has more than double that on his own, for some added perspective.

Can I watch Liverpool vs Fulham in the UK?

For budding viewers in the UK, Liverpool’s clash with Fulham will unfortunately not be shown live due to the Premier League’s 3pm blackout.

This is a rule that’s been in place since the 1960s when Burnley chairman Bob Lord successfully convinced his fellow Football League chairmen that televised matches on Saturday afternoons would negatively impact the attendance of lower league games.

Watch Liverpool v Fulham in the US

In the US, you can watch Man City vs Man United on Peacock, NBC’s streaming service.

To tune in, you’ll need to be signed up for either a Premium subscription ($7.99/month) or Premium Plus ($13.99/month), which also gets rid of some ads.

How to watch Liverpool vs Fulham from anywhere

Traveling away from home this weekend and geo-blocked from your usual stream? Visiting the UK from the US and don’t want to miss the game? There is a neat solution to these problems. A VPN – or Virtual Private Network – is a piece of software that can make your device appear to be in any country in the world.

Provided it complies with your broadcaster’s T&Cs, you can use a VPN to unblock the streaming services you subscribe to back home, and it also comes with added internet security benefits.

FourFourTwo’s colleagues at TechRadar are experts in this field, and they reckon NordVPN is the best VPN provider on the market.

Watch Liverpool vs Fulham streams globally

For more information on global Premier League broadcasters, check out our guide on How to watch Premier League live streams from anywhere in the world in 2024/25.

Lamar Jackson is not only a superstar on the field but also one of the kindest and most thoughtful players off it. Now, he’s adding “author” to his list of accomplishments with the release of his children’s book, I Dream, You Dream, We Dream. Lamar’s decision to write a book is deeply personal, stemming from his journey of overcoming challenges as a child.

He hopes to inspire kids to believe in themselves and pursue their dreams, no matter the obstacles they face. This passion for empowering youth is also what led him to establish his foundation, Forever Dreamers. The inspiration for the foundation traces back to a pivotal moment in Lamar’s life: meeting Randy Moss during a ‘Fun Day,’ an experience that left a lasting impression on him.

In an interview with GQ, the two-time MVP reflected on a memorable experience from his youth: attending a Fun Day at a local high school. The event was filled with fun activities like tossing a football around, but what stood out most to Lamar was meeting Randy Moss and other football players who were there to support and inspire the kids.

” I was at this Fun Day at Blanc E High School when I was a kid. They had us out there, just playing football and stuff, meeting other football players, Randy Moss and those guys come out and show love to us. I was like, when I get older. I’m gonna do the same things. Always like to give back. Forever Dreamers is my foundation. It’s a nonprofit.”

That encounter left a lasting impression on him and motivated him to give back in the same way. This inspiration eventually led to the creation of his foundation, Forever Dreamers, dedicated to uplifting and empowering youth.

Lamar Jackson’s Forever Dreamers Foundation

Through his foundation, Lamar aims to help kids unlock their full potential—not just on the football field, but beyond it. He recognizes that many kids struggle to stay on the right path once football season ends. By providing a space where they can continue playing the game and engaging in positive activities, Lamar hopes to keep them focused, motivated, and out of trouble.

Jackson started the foundation in 2018, with its inaugural event being Fun Day with Lamar. The Foundation works by the motto “Never Stop Dreaming.” The two-time MVP and his organization hope to be agents of change by helping fulfill the hopes and dreams of youth.

Today, the foundation focuses on Mental Health awareness, hoping to change the negative stigma around the topic. Through their campaign, they want kids to dream with a free spirit and keep an open mind about the possibilities in the future.

With Christmas approaching, Lamar through Forever Dreamers is hosting their Holiday Toy Drive on 21st December at noon at Avondale Park in Pompano Beach, Florida.

Shawn Porter isn’t letting fans sleep on the Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach showdown this weekend at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. With some predicting this could be the last time we see ‘Tank’ in the ring, Porter shared his insight on the matchup—and he believes it could be closer than people think.

This is not the first time the pair will be fighting each other. So this fight hits close to home for ‘Tank’ and according to Porter, this history will play a role in the fight,

“This might be a fight until he gets hit. Then again, he’s tasted that before, so if he gets hit and doesn’t go away, we got a fight on our hands, you know.”

The history between Davis and Roach makes this fight even more intriguing. The two have a long-standing connection, having fought each other as young amateurs and even trained together at one point. That familiarity could give Roach an edge as he knows what it’s like to face Davis’ power.

While ‘Tank’ enters the bout as the heavy favorite, Porter is cautioning fans not to count out Roach.

As fight night approaches, the question looms: Can Lamont Roach use that history to his advantage, or will Gervonta Davis continue his dominant run? Either way, fans are in for a treat when the two step into the ring this Saturday.

However, not everyone is happy with this matchup. Conor Benn called out ‘Tank‘ for making a fight no one wants to see.

Benn rips into Tank

Throughout the buildup to his fight with Roach, Davis has made no secret of his frustration with boxing, constantly hinting at retirement. “I’m fed up with the sport,” Davis has said, expressing how much he can’t wait to step away from the ring. However, these comments have sparked some backlash, with Benn calling out Davis for taking what he views as the easy route.

“You know these other fighters that he should be fighting, you know he don’t want those fights! He wants to retire!!”

Boxing has always had this problem. While the decentralized model of the sport allows for better remuneration and profits for the fighters, it also regularly allows those in a privileged position to dictate their matchups.

James Harden gets the recognition he deserves, but only when it comes to being hailed as one of the greatest scorers ever. He is often not seen as someone with a good work ethic. On The Hoop Collective, Brian Windhorst argued that this kind of narrative has only gained traction due to some of Harden’s off-court activities in the past.

Windhorst believes that Harden is one of the hardest-working athletes in the league, but his reputation is marred by negative public perception. The Beard is known to enjoy himself at parties and was infamous for his night-club stints in Houston. He also likes to wear “strange outfits” when he’s walking the red carpet in many fashion events.

People often look at these examples and build a perception about the 10-time All-Star being a ‘Diva’ on the court. But Windhorst clarified, “Obviously James enjoys himself off the court, but…he is a worker…He sometimes wears really strange outfits…but he’s a worker. He’s in the gym too.”

Harden’s Clippers teammate, Norman Powell, who was a guest on the show, also attested Windy’s claims.

He said, “He gets his work in. That’s what I appreciate. Even when he first came last year after the trade…I seen him running the stadiums because I’m in there in the morning too.”

Powell added that Harden also works a lot on his conditioning and is an overall dedicated athlete who understands what it takes to stay in shape. “He’s in there getting his workout and even after his workout, he’s doing conditioning, running the stairs and things like that, just to get his body in shape and ready to play.”

What some people fail to realize is that if Harden didn’t do all of this, he wouldn’t be able to sustain himself as one of the best in the league for over a decade.

Over the last few years, he has also become a veteran leader for his younger teammates.

Norman Powell on James Harden training with the youngsters

During an appearance on The Draymond Green Show, Powell heaped praise on Harden for his lesser-known quality. He talked to the Warriors veteran about Harden being a responsible mentor to the youngsters in the team. Powell stated that during the summer, he worked out with the youngsters of the team to build chemistry.

Powell said, “During the summer he was working out with the young guys. We’re doing the beep test, conditioning, running up and down the floor after their individual workouts and he’s right there with them.” The Clippers star believes that this motivates the youngsters to look at the practice drills differently.

He added, “I think that builds the trust and the chemistry like, ‘If James is in here I should be too.’” As a seasoned veteran, it’d be very easy for Harden to step away from it or not get involved with the youngsters, but he knows the value his presence creates.

It looks like Khabib Nurmagomedov is assembling his own squad of Avengers ahead of some major UFC battles! Henry Cejudo, the former UFC double champion, has been spotted training with Umar Nurmagomedov and the rest of Team Khabib as he gears up for his highly anticipated title fight against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311.

Fans are buzzing about this powerhouse alliance, which also saw Demetrious Johnson in their midst a day or so back lending his expertise to help Umar and Islam Makhachev sharpen their skills. It’s a collaboration that’s got the MMA world talking,

“They’re assembling legends for MERAB let’s goo”, one fan said after seeing both Demetrious Johnson and Henry Cejudo join Team Khabib’s training camp. Another fan spoke about how unfair it is to Merab Dvalishvili who is training with Aljamain Sterling, “Their training camp seems a little unfair ngl.”

One fan pointed out the obvious when he stated that every fighter is running to the AKA gym to watch how Khabib works, “Everyone flocking to witness a khabib camp.” This fan questioned Umar Nurmagomedov for assembling a team to fight evil and said,“First Mighty Mouse now Cejudo..Why does he need the avengers if he says Merab is easy work?”

Another interesting point of view came into the light when one fan said, “This is actually really good for Henry as well. Sparring with Umar, he can find out if he’s still capable of competing with the best in the division”

His opponent, ‘The Machine‘, however,  is not training with legends of the sport, but he has been amping up the trash talk to try and get into Umar’s head.

Merab recreates bathtub picture

Dvalishvili is taking his pre-fight banter to the next level, aiming squarely at the younger Nurmagomedov. In his latest jab, Dvalishvili recreated the infamous Dagestani bathtub photo with his team, hilariously editing in Umar’s face to make it look like he was the one taking the picture.

Umar, representing the elite Team Khabib, has kept his tone sharp but composed, embodying the calm confidence the Dagestani fighters are known for. Meanwhile, Merab, with his lively personality, has embraced a more playful yet cutting approach, further hyping the drama leading up to their January 18 clash.

This back-and-forth has turned their matchup into one of the most talked-about fights on the UFC 311 card, proving that the mental game outside the cage can be just as thrilling as the physical battle inside it.