Dmitry Bivol has been linked to a number of opponents since defeating Michael Eifert, but it seems as though there is only one man whom the Russian intends to face – avoiding a fight with a former world champion in the process.

Bivol claimed the undisputed light-heavyweight crown when he avenged his solitary career defeat to Artur Beterbiev with a majority-decision triumph in February 2025, until a 15-month period of inactivity saw him forego his WBC world title.

Upon his return, in May, Bivol shook off the ring rust by fulfilling his IBF mandatory and defending his three remaining world titles against Eifert in Russia, before rumours that the 35-year-old would swerve a trilogy against Beterbiev emerged.

However, in an interview with FightHype, promoter Eddie Hearn denied those suggestions and revealed that it is the Beterbiev fight which Bivol wants most.

“There’s a lot of people saying, ‘Bivol doesn’t want to fight Beterbiev.’ That’s not true at all.”

“Dmitry wants the trilogy. That’s the fight he wants. We’ll start those conversations and see what happens.”

It had been understood that Bivol would instead take on former WBA super-middleweight world champion and current WBO 175lb mandatory challenger Callum Smith – once the Russian had recovered from an elbow surgery which is set to take place later this month.

Yet, Hearn went on to explain that he now expects Smith to rematch Joshua Buatsi in a clash for the vacant WBO light-heavyweight world title, after Bivol has relinquished the belt.

“I think Callum Smith will probably end up boxing Joshua Buatsi for the vacant world title if that’s the route it goes.

 “We’ll see how everything plays out, but Dmitry wants the Beterbiev fight.”

As a result, it seems as though Bivol-Beterbiev III could be back on the cards for later this year, with the WBA and IBF light-heavyweight marbles at stake.

Meanwhile, Smith-Buatsi II could headline a mooted ‘Matchroom vs. Queensberry 2’ bill in either October or November, nearly two years on from their first battle which was won by Smith after a Fight of the Year contender.

Football didn’t have it easy at the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. 

There were questionable decisions by FIFA, the sport’s governing body, as well as a lot of spectacle and a final in which only one team actually played football.

After a total of 104 games in this biggest-ever World Cup, Spain were deservedly crowned champions, and, for the first time, a country’s men’s and women’s teams are simultaneously world champions.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the tournament as the “greatest sporting, social and cultural event in humanity.” 

US President Donald Trump congratulated FIFA on what he called “one of the all-time greatest sporting events in history.”

But was it really? Here’s what will be remembered.

How did viewers receive the biggest Cup yet?

Fears of empty stadiums — especially in the United States, where international football isn’t the No. 1 sport — proved unfounded. According to FIFA, 6,810,966 fans attended the tournament, the first to be co-hosted by three countries. This set a new record for World Cup attendance.

Given that the schedule featured 104 matches, instead of 64 at previous tournaments, record attendance is no surprise. The average match attendance was about 65,000, and, according to FIFA, 99.7% of all available seats were filled. However, many empty seats were visible in stadiums, especially during the group stage.

Hydration breaks draw criticism

Fans criticized the newly introduced hydration breaks. Most coaches, however, supported the breaks — or, at least, did not complain about them.

Uruguay’s now-former coach, Marcelo Bielsa, on the other hand, criticized the additional opportunity to influence the game.

“Playing four halves instead of two changes the culturally shaped perception of football,” he said. “These breaks add nothing to the game, but take a lot away from it.”

Were there any surprises at this World Cup?

World Cup newcomer Cape Verde caused quite a stir. The small African nation held eventual world champions Spain to a 0-0 draw and narrowly lost to defending champions Argentina in extra time in the round of 32.

The Democratic Republic of Congo celebrated a 1-1 draw against Portugal and its superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo. Paraguay knocked Germany out of the tournament in the round of 32. Curacao, the smallest World Cup participant, made history by scoring their first-ever World Cup goal against Germany and earned their first-ever World Cup point against Ecuador.

Price madness at World Cup

This World Cup was expensive. Fans had to dig deep into their pockets for tickets, hotels, parking fees or flights. However, prices inside the stadiums caused additional frustration. In the US, visitors had to pay up to €20 ($22) for a beer, more than €17 for French fries or about €7 for a bottle of water.

In Mexico, too, food and drinks were significantly more expensive than usual. At the Azteca Stadium, where the opening match took place, a beer cost the equivalent of about €15.50 — almost as much as the country’s minimum daily wage.

What role did Trump play at the World Cup?

There was widespread concern that Trump might use the World Cup to advance his political agenda. After all, the US president had repeatedly declared the tournament to be his personal prestige project. Yet Trump didn’t show up at the stadium until the final and largely kept a low profile during the tournament.

Nevertheless, the 80-year-old sparked the biggest scandal of the tournament. After US forward Folarin Balogun was shown a red card, he successfully lobbied FIFA President Infantino to review the automatic ban for the next game.

Balogun was allowed to play in the round-of-16 match against Belgium, but couldn’t stop America from losing to Belgium.

“The current FIFA president has bowed to Donald Trump,” said former FIFA boss Joseph Blatter. However, the criticism of Infantino is reportedly unlikely to jeopardize his potential reelection as FIFA president in March 2027.

How safe was the World Cup?

The war in the Middle East and unrest in Mexico had raised significant security concerns in the run-up to the tournament. While the games in Canada and the US went off largely without a hitch, there were several incidents in Mexico. Fans stormed an already overcrowded fan zone in Guadalajara; after a victory by the co-hosts, a car plowed into a celebrating crowd; and several people died during victory celebrations in Mexico City.

In addition to numerous fans, particularly from African countries, Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry into the US despite having a valid visa. The authorities cited security concerns over alleged ties to a terrorist organization in his home country as the reason. The Somali FIFA referee is still expected to receive his salary due from the World Cup.

What was the human rights situation like?

Many human rights organizations have given FIFA an extremely poor rating.

“This World Cup has been played against a backdrop of the U.S. government’s abusive immigration crackdown,” said Minky Worden of Human Rights Watch.

She also pointed to a “failure by FIFA to uphold its own human rights standards.”

This seems to contradict any claim of this being the “most inclusive World Cup in history.” 

“FIFA had promised that everyone could feel safe. The truth is different. ICE, for example, has doubled the number of arrests,” said Daniel Norona of Amnesty International USA.

Ronan Evain of the fan organization “Football Supporters Europe” criticized the opaque process for issuing visas to fans, particularly those from non-European countries.

“Our observations have revealed little or no evidence that ticket holders from Africa and Asia actually received visas to enter the US,” Evain said.

What’s next after the World Cup?

For Infantino, further expanding the World Cup from 48 to 64 teams is certainly conceivable. Instead of the current 104, there would then be 128 matches.

“That is definitely an issue that will be examined after this World Cup and discussed within the committees,” the FIFA president told Swiss broadcaster “blue Sport.”

Despite the widespread criticism of Infantino, his position as FIFA president is not in jeopardy. On the contrary: More games mean more money that he can distribute to the member nations. Next year, Infantino is expected to be re-elected to his post for the third time.

If reelected, Infantino would be in charge until 2031, a year after the next World Cup, which is to be spread over three continents. A total of three games will be played in Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina before the tournament moves to Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

This article was originally published in German.

Former MLB reliever Duane Ward, known for helping the Toronto Blue Jays win World Series in the 1990s, has died. He was 62 years old.

The Blue Jays announced Ward’s death on Sunday, saying he died of natural causes while in Toronto.

Ward was in Toronto for the unveiling of a statue outside the Blue Jays’ home Rogers Centre to commemorate the back-to-back World Series championship from 1992 and 1993, which he was a part of.

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Duane Ward of the Toronto Blue Jays winds up to pitch against the Oakland Athletics during a game in Oakland, California. (Getty Images)

The unveiling was set for Saturday, where over two dozen players, coaches and executives were on hand to see it for the first time.

“Duane will be deeply missed by our fans, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family,” the Blue Jays said in a statement. “Duane will always be a cherished part of the Blue Jays family, and we will be forever grateful for his contributions to our organization and to baseball in Canada.”

BOBBY COX, LEGENDARY ATLANTA BRAVES MANAGER WHO LED 1995 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS, DEAD AT 84

The Blue Jays also had a tribute for Ward before Sunday’s first pitch against the Chicago White Sox, holding a moment of silence for him after a montage played on the videoboard in center field.

Ward was the top draft choice of the Atlanta Braves out of Farmington High School in New Mexico during the 1982 MLB Draft, but while he made his major league debut with the club, he didn’t last there long.

Ward was traded to the Blue Jays midway through the 1986 season, and he truly found a home north of the border.

He spent parts of nine years with the ballclub, turning into a key reliever that could be relied upon as the Blue Jays proved they had what it took to reach, and win, the World Series in the early 1990s.

A moment of silence was held before the game for former Blue Jays pitcher Duane Ward, who died, as the Toronto Blue Jays played the Chicago White Sox at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, on July 19, 2026. (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star)

Ward’s best season came during the 1993 World Series run, leading the league with 70 games finished and 45 saves, while owning a 2.13 ERA across 71.2 innings (71 games).

Ward also had a dominant 1.95 ERA during the 1992 season, earning himself 12 saves, and 103 strikeouts across 101.1 innings pitched.

In the postseason, Ward was just as exceptional, owning a 1.13 ERA and two saves during his World Series appearances. And though Game 6 of the 1993 World Series will forever be remembered for Joe Carter’s walk-off home run against the Philadelphia Phillies, it was Ward who earned the victory as the pitcher that shut the door to allow that to happen.

“Whether setting the stage in the eighth inning or closing out wins, he will be remembered for the role he played in some of the greatest moments in Blue Jays history,” the team’s statement continued.

Former MLB player Duane Ward throws out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 3 of the American League Division Series between the Texas Rangers and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada. (Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

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After an arm injury forced Ward to miss the entire 1994 season, he pitched in just four games in 1995 before he last saw a big league mound.

In 462 games, Ward earned a career 3.28 ERA with 679 strikeouts over 666.2 innings pitched.

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AEW star Chris Jericho had a guest walk out of his recent podcast with Y2J, addressing the fallout.

The Ayatollah of Rock n Roll sat down with the creative minds behind the upcoming horror classic, ‘Devour,’ to discuss the movie. In a clip released on Instagram, Chris Jericho spoke about the team conducting 4,000 auditions to lock in the final cast and the different species in the movie, like werewolves, minotaurs, demons, zombies, and more.

During the conversation, the artist donning the costume of Mae the Werewolf left the discussion. This came after the former AEW World Champion said the minotaurs looked better than Mae, with the other members saying she is sensitive and might not have taken Jericho’s comments well, leading to the walk-out.

Terrifying chat with the creative minds behind the new batshit crazy, future horror classic @devour_movie on @talkisjericho NOW! Despite having a guest walk off #TalkIsJericho for the FIRST time ever, (who just so happened to be the FIRST Lycanthrope on #TalkIsJericho ever), director @scotthansenfilm, producer #DesireeHansen and star @gus.langley and Mae the werewolf delve deep into the story behind how a movie about a vampire metal band spiraled into a universe filled with werewolves, sirens, warlocks, minotaurs, zombies, demons, Civil War vampires, and total chaos. Hear how they cast the film from nearly 4,000 auditions, why Gus Langley turned down Marvel’s Thunderbolts to finish #DEVOUR, and why #MaeTheWerewolf got insulted and walked off the TIJ set!

Chris Jericho is set to bring back his popular heel persona in AEW

Chris Jericho is currently embroiled in a heated feud with Tommaso Ciampa in AEW. The duo squared off in a huge collision at Beach Break, which Jericho lost. He addressed the same in a promo the following week on Dynamite, saying that he wanted to have one more match against him at AEW Redemption 2026 PPV. However, Jericho revealed that it would be his infamous ‘Painmaker’ persona that would battle Ciampa at the event.

This will be the first time in three years that Jericho will wrestle as the Painmaker in All Elite Wrestling. With the Demo God channeling his most sadistic version, it remains to be seen if Ciampa will be able to get past him at the Redemption PPV.