Sunderland are only in their third year back in the Championship, having suffered double relegation to end up in League One in 2018.

For four years, the Wearsiders battled it out in the third division of the EFL before finally achieving promotion with a play-off win against Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley in 2022.

Yet their return to the second tier has not proven easy.

While they did manage to secure a play-off spot in their first year back, they lost out in the semi-finals to Luton Town, and then found themselves drifting backwards in the table the following year.

Midfielder Neil, who was part of the Sunderland squad in League One, has spoken about how Le Bris has shed the naivety of the team to form them into promotion-contenders.

“He has definitely brought new ideas, new ways of playing, especially in possession,” Neil told 72+: The EFL Podcast.

“I feel like the way we are playing now is a lot more structured. Everybody knows their roles in and out of possession.”

There’s no longer the ‘pass to the attacking players and hope for the best’ kind of mindset that seemed prevalent in the club’s recent past.

Le Bris’ style of play hinges on his midfield talent – Rigg, Bellingham and Neil – to create triangles of space on the pitch and build into an attack rather than a gung-ho approach.

Bellingham in particular seems to have found his footing under Le Bris’ guidance.

Last season, the Birmingham youth product was utilised as both a midfielder and a second striker but seemed to run out of steam as the season progressed.

Le Bris appears to have settled his role in the midfield, allowing his combination play with Rigg and Neil to help slow the tempo of the game while still taking advantage of his physical power in attack.

It’s effective.

Sunderland have scored the most goals of any Championship side with 18 this season, conceding just eight.

Connolly was a highly talented teenager who came over from Ireland when he was 15 to move to Brighton and Hove Albion.

A prolific scorer for Brighton’s under-23 team, it was not long before he was making his first Premier League start, aged just 19 in October 2019.

He scored two that day as the Seagulls beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-0, but rather than being the first step on the way to a successful career at the top level, he believes that it was exactly the opposite.

“That’s probably where my career started to go downhill when it really should have been carrying on upwards,” Connolly said.

“I just stopped doing the things that got me to that position. I just stopped working hard and you can’t do that. I started to believe the hype. I became a tough person to be around. Nobody could tell me anything.”

He only managed three more goals in the top flight as his promising youth career did not translate into sustained success at the top level.

There were loan spells with Middlesbrough in the Championship and then with Venezia in Italy’s Serie B, but that was cut short to allow Connolly to move to Hull, initially on loan before signing a one-year deal.

“The loans were a sign of what I was doing because I should have been playing week-in, week-out for Brighton,” he said. “From where I was to where I ended up, something clearly went wrong.”

There are a lot of different metrics to measure the success or failure of a combat sports promotion but perhaps one of the biggest indicators comes down to ticket sales. For BKFC, that might be the most telling sign that the bare-knuckle outfit has surpassed almost every other competitor out there.

With a debut card scheduled in Spain on Saturday, BKFC is embarking on a massive stretch of events that likely culminates with the organization going to Philadelphia for the first time ever in December. While organizations like the UFC proudly tout the live gate after an event, ticket sales for other promotions are rarely ever talked about.

BKFC founder and president David Feldman has a feeling he knows why.

“The UFC sells tickets,” Feldman explained when speaking to MMA Fighting. “The big, big boxing matches, they sell tickets. The smaller ones, the mid-ones don’t. The mid-MMA companies, they’re not selling tickets. Obviously the smaller [MMA promotions] are, they’re selling 1,000 tickets. Not really selling.”

When to BKFC, Feldman proudly talks about the promotion’s ticket sales because those numbers of steadily increased ever since the first show launched back in 2018.

There have been a number of sellouts over the years with BKFC 63 in Sturgis, S.D. setting a new record with 15,000 in attendance for a card headlined by strawweight women’s champion Britain Hart.

Feldman admits BKFC’s ability to sell tickets has become one of his proudest achievements, especially when it comes to drumming up more interest in potential investors looking to bet on a combat sports promotion.

“It’s actually my pitch to investors,” Feldman said. “I go ‘listen, we’re actually one of the only promotions in the world that sells tickets.’

“We just sold 5,400 tickets this past weekend. We’re projected to sell 6,700 tickets in Spain and then Denver, we’ll probably do 4,000 tickets there and then we’re doing Poland in December, Montana, All these shows coming up, they should really be a minimum of 4,000 tickets sold. Actually sold and that’s a big deal right now in combat sports because they’re not all sold. A lot of them are papered up.”

“Papered up” means tickets being given away for free to fill an arena, which happens quite often in combat sports.

Feldman admits there was definitely a time when BKFC gave away more tickets than the organization sold but that’s just not the case any longer.

“I won’t lie to you — I might have lied to you five years ago and said we sold 3,000 tickets when we only sold 1,000,” Feldman said. “But now we’re actually selling all our tickets.

“We might give away three or four percent of our tickets right now but we’re selling it all.”

With ticket sales on the rise, a new broadcast deal in place with DAZN and Conor McGregor on board as a co-owner now, Feldman expects 2024 to be the biggest year yet for BKFC and he’s anticipating an even bigger 2025.

“We thought we were out of business 10 different times and we just found a way to make it happen and make it work,” Feldman said. “I don’t see any end in sight. I think we got a really great shot right now of knocking on the No. 1’s door.”

By Kostas Lianos, Digital Sports Reporter

IT was back in 2019 when Greece legend Vasilis Torosidis – the heir to Euro 2004 hero Giourkas Seitaridis – retired from international duty after 101 caps.

A giant void was left behind at right-back, many talented players tried to step up – and none of them could fill those big boots.

But, soon enough, I started to hear whispers about a Premier League ace with Greek heritage who’s a starter week-in and week-out…

That was none other than George Baldock, born in Buckingham on March 9, 1993, to English parents but qualified for Greece through his grandmother.

And what a season he was having. The right-back starred for Sheffield United as they surprised the Prem in the 2019-20 campaign – their first in 12 years – by finishing in the top half of the table.

Baldock was among their standout players as he registered a staggering 3,420 minutes played – the joint highest along with the likes of Declan Rice and Virgil van Dijk.

The defender was keen to make the big step to the international stage with his grandmother’s homeland – and it didn’t take long until he shook hands with the Greek football federation (EPO) chiefs.

However, a long and arduous paperwork slog stood in the way – with the then Sheffield United star claiming Covid-19 and Brexit slowed things down.

Greece finally got the right-back they were begging for for years as Baldock made his debut on June 2, 2022 in a Nations League clash at Northern Ireland as a late substitute.

It didn’t take long until the English-born ace owned the right flank at the back and impressive performances followed.

Perhaps none compare to the Euro 2024 qualifier against France in June 2023 when Baldock did the unthinkable and kept Kylian Mbappe quiet for 104 MINUTES, despite being injured and playing through “unimaginable” pain.

I still remember speaking to then-Greece manager Gus Poyet about his player’s stunning performance, and I will never forget the big smile the Chelsea legend had on his face.

Poyet reminded me of a proud father as he took me through the injury hell the full-back endured before squaring up against perhaps the world’s best player for his country.

A beaming Poyet told me: “Against the Republic of Ireland [three days beforehand] – and now that it is finished I can say it – after 20 minutes he had a very bad twist in his ankle, very bad. He was very close to come out. I asked him, ‘Can you hold until half-time?’

“At half-time his ankle was very, very swollen. He asked for a strapping and he asked me for five minutes. Give me five minutes and we’ll let you know. And he had an unbelievable second half running up and down and being outstanding.

“You don’t imagine the ankle after the game. You don’t imagine the ankle the day after, after the flight to France. Black and blue – swollen. And a day-and-a-half later you need to play against Mbappe.

“Ninety per cent of people will think, no chance. And I keep talking to him, individually. And he keeps saying to me, ‘Coach I’m gonna be there no worries’.

“And he didn’t play 20 minutes, he didn’t play 60 minutes, he played 104 minutes because the referee gave 14 minutes of injury time against Mbappe.”

It’s easy to understand how loyal Baldock was to every team he ever played for during his 15-year career, just by looking at his stats.

The Greek ace started his career at MK Dons in 2009 where he amassed a staggering 125 appearances throughout an eight-year stint that also saw him playing on loan for Northampton Town, Tamworth, IBV and Oxford United.

The defender joined Sheffield United in 2017 and registered a whopping 219 appearances in seven years that also saw him helping his team achieve two Premier League promotions.

Baldock’s work ethic and commitment was no different in Greece as he proudly stated two years ago: “To play for the national side is a great honour and a lot of pride involved for me and my family.

“Representing my country through my late grandmother, it’s a very proud moment for me and my family. I love the country and I will fight for every success”

Baldock never played for England at any level, but he always competed like a lion and he proved it on Sunday in his last ever match when he started for Panathinaikos, whom he joined in the summer, against eternal rivals Olympiacos in perhaps the most intense derby in Europe.

He served his team with honour as he helped them pick up a valuable point in a goalless draw against their in-form foes, who had just played their best game of the season with a 3-0 win over Braga in the Europa League a few days earlier.

He only managed 12 caps for Greece before his sudden and tragic death at the age of 31 on Wednesday in Athens.

But his fighting spirit and charisma at right-back with the white and blue, as well as his remarkable run in the Premier League and the Championship, show that he is leaving a legacy behind for many Greek and English fans to look up to.

Paul addressed what led up to the plan that he never attempted. His parents divorced when he was 7 and older brother Logan was 9, and it was “by all accounts an ugly split,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. His boorish behavior got him sued by his landlord and fired by Disney. And in late 2017, Logan visited “suicide forest” in Japan, filmed a suicide victim and posted the footage on YouTube.

“I got lumped into all my brother’s hate,” Jake Paul said. “It was like, ‘(Expletive) the Pauls. (Expletive) both of those people.’ It was bad. The suicide forest thing basically ruined my career and income. I lost probably $30 million in deals. There was one $15 million deal for retail products that fell apart. They were able to get out of it because of a morality clause.”

It led to problematic behavior, Jake Paul said.

“Basically, life hit me in the face, and it was like, ‘Who are you? What have you been doing the past couple of years?’ ” he said. “It led to drinking and drugs and Los Angeles and going to parties and just that whole entire world. I got sucked up into it really quickly.”

Jake Paul continued: “And so there I am: No money, kind of hating myself, the whole world hates me. I’m drinking. I’m depressed and not having a good relationship with either of my parents or Logan. …I just felt wrong in life and by all the cards I had been dealt. It was (expletive up). I just tried to do good my whole life and here I am with what felt like nothing”

And, no, Paul said he did not go through with his catastrophic plan.

“I was not going to let them win,” he said. “I was like, ‘I’m going to fight. This is what every social media hater wants is to wake up and see Jake Paul killed himself.’ ”

Paul, who embarked on a pro boxing careeer in 2020, said the sport saved his life. He is 10-1 with seven knockouts and also co-founded Most Valuable Promotions, which manages a stable of fighters that include Amanda Serrano, a multiple-time world champion.

“It’s purpose, routine, health, community — all the things I needed,” he said. “Since 2020, it’s been boxing’s number one and everything else comes after that. I never really liked YouTube. I was just good at it.”

Sep 15, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Boxer and influencer Jake Paul before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium. (Kevin Jairaj, Imagn Images)

***

Jake Paul: Fan of Donald Trump

Jake Paul is an ardent supporter of Donald Trump and said he fears what will happen if Trump loses to Vice President Kamala Harris on Nov. 5 in the general election.

“I think America will fall, the borders will open, tens of millions of illegal criminals and people from other countries will pour in,” he said. “And I think freedom of speech will probably be taken away from us in a secret, tricky way that we can’t track technically.”

***

Jake Paul says father physically abused him

Paul said his dad physically abused him and his brother, according to The Hollywood Reporter, and that the abuse lasted from childhood until the brothers left for Los Angeles in their late teens.

“He was punching us, slapping us, throwing us down the stairs, throwing things at us, mental abuse, manipulation,” said Jake Paul, who later explained, “say he’s on the phone, and my brother and I were whispering to each other. And he’s like, ‘Quit (expletive) whispering!’ and whips something at my head. There’s punishment and then there’s abuse. He just took his anger out on us. He’s going through a divorce, losing everything — and we were the closest people to him.”

This story was originally published by USA TODAY Sports.

For more on the fight, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Paul vs. Tyson.

For Brook, who admitted he was merely trying to beat his father David’s highest score of 210, it was also testament to a fitness regime implemented when he missed England’s tour of India earlier this year.

Leaner, more agile in the field and with perhaps the safest pair of hands in the England team, Brook said he would have “got to 150 and slogged one up in the air” had he not got into such fine physical condition.

If Brook was bouncing back from a rough end of the summer, he had a partner in Joe Root who knows all about having his mistakes put under the microscope.

Root’s reverse-scoop at Jasprit Bumrah in the third Test in Rajkot in February was a moment of national crisis, but since then he is averaging in excess of 90.

Root assured his place in English cricketing history by going past Sir Alastair Cook as the country’s all-time leading Test run-scorer on day three. In combining with Brook, he picked up another record, sharing 454 for the fourth wicket for England’s highest partnership in Tests, a stand that challenged Pakistan to match the tourists’ spirit. It was a challenge they failed spectacularly.

Mercurial at the best of times, Pakistan are enduring an abysmal trot. Beaten by the USA at the T20 World Cup in June, winless in 10 home Tests, including a 2-0 defeat by Bangladesh a few weeks ago, they were brittle before this contest began, then broken by England’s will.

Their fielding fell apart, six of their bowlers shipped more than 100 runs and their batting was spooked by one Chris Woakes got to scuttle through Abdullah Shafique from the first ball of the second innings. Shafique stared at the hole where his off stump used to be, all too aware of what would follow.

England could have won by the end of the fourth day, only to end four wickets shy.

Still, they will probably wrap things up quickly enough for Anderson to be back on the golf course on Friday afternoon, and Stone can toast an England win on Saturday, just after he’s mentioned how beautiful the bridesmaids look.

The touring fast bowlers have managed plenty of rest, so have a good chance of being fresh for the second Test on Tuesday and Duckett’s thumb was working well enough for him to make 84 on Wednesday.

Even Stokes was prowling laps of the boundary on Thursday, like a caged tiger pawing at the ground.

Records are made to be broken. It is the spirit that is made to last.