Two-division world champion David Benavidez is seeking greatness and he hopes to see his fellow American fighters do the same.

The 29-year-old has shared his thoughts on the potential showdown between Ryan Garcia and Shakur Stevenson, whilst encouraging the pair to collide.

Ever since Ryan Garcia dethroned Mario Barrios to get his hands on the WBC welterweight world title last month, pound-for-pound star Shakur Stevenson has been the name on his lips, but the pair are yet to come to an agreement.

All signs pointed toward a clash with Conor Benn prior to Garcia’s victory, but in the post-fight interview, ‘King Ry’ made a beeline toward Stevenson, who defeated Teofimo Lopez to claim the WBO super-lightweight crown a few weeks prior.

Originally, Garcia had threatened to return to the 140lb division in order to challenge for Stevenson’s title, but the Californian has now u-turned on those plans and instead demanded that the Newark southpaw comes up to welterweight in order to make the fight happen.

In an interview with FightHype, Benavidez spoke with excitement ahead of the potential clash and encouraged Stevenson to test himself and grow his legacy whilst he is in his prime.

“It is not an easy fight, it is a 50/50 fight. I’m not going to say that Ryan Garcia is going to knock Shakur out and I am not saying that Shakur is going to go and knock Ryan Garcia out – it is a 50/50 fight and that is what we want to see.

“Everybody moves at their own pace. I think that Shakur has done a hell of a job, he is a great fighter, he is definitely going to be a legend and I just think that you should try and make the legend as big as you can, while you can.”

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Stevenson has maintained that he would require a rehydration clause in order to accept a fight above his natural weight division – a proposal that Garcia appears unwilling to agree to.

Craig Bellamy admitted Wales would have to “let it hurt” after their World Cup dream was destroyed by a penalty shoot-out play-off defeat.

Bosnia and Herzegovina prevailed 4-2 on spot-kicks after a 1-1 draw following 120 tension-packed minutes at Cardiff City Stadium.

Wales were four minutes from booking a home play-off final against Italy – 2-0 winners over Northern Ireland – on Tuesday after Daniel James’ stunning strike just after half-time, but 40-year-old veteran Edin Dzeko saved Bosnia by heading home from a corner.

“We’re going to hurt, let it hurt,” said boss Bellamy after history cruelly repeated itself as Wales had lost a Euro 2024 play-off final to Poland in Cardiff on penalties.

“I haven’t really felt this towards a group of players, because I’ve probably never had a group of players for myself as a coach.

“Getting to back-to-back World Cups was really our target. To know you’ve not got there, and when you see players really disappointed, it hurts you more.

“I hurt tonight as it sinks in now. It will be a sleepless night, difficult to sleep off the back of this one. But it makes me even more determined tomorrow.

“The sun will rise, and I’m going to watch that sun rise. Then straight away, how do I go again? How do I improve? How does this team get better?

“Let’s get over tonight, but there’s a bright future. If I was playing, imagine looking forward to what’s coming up.

“As a group of players, you have the Nations League coming up. Group A.

“You have a home nation Euros coming. It’s not a bad time to be a Welsh footballer.”

Wales seized the initial advantage in the shoot-out as Karl Darlow saved Ermedin Demirovic’s kick.

But Brennan Johnson blazed over and Neco Williams saw Nikola Vasilj push away his penalty, allowing Kerim Alajbegovic to seal Wales’ fate.

Bellamy said he had not yet spoken to Johnson, who left the pitch in tears after his crucial penalty miss.

“Of course I’ll speak to Brennan. Let’s get through this moment (first),” said Bellamy.

“It’s a hard one and we practice pens. We’ve done all our research on it, we spent all week doing it.

“So we couldn’t have done any more on penalties. Honestly, I don’t believe in luck on pens.

“You’ve got to be prepared and rehearse them every day in training. The analysis on penalties we went really through it.

“That leaves me more bewildered. when they missed the first one. I thought ‘yeah, this is exactly what we practice for’, but it wasn’t the case.”

Wales had the best first-half opportunities with Harry Wilson striking the upright midway through.

James hit the woodwork for the second time after lashing home from 25 yards, but Bosnia had threatened increasingly before Dzeko scored his 73rd international goal.

Bellamy said: “If there’s any learning from it, which is really difficult right now with the disappointment, it is when the heat comes you’ve got to be even calmer.

“What happened is not what we want for this team. Bosnia are drilled for chaos, and we allowed chaos to creep in for 20 minutes.

“We’re not built that way. We don’t play that way.  But I do understand it’s a play-off and they’re going out.”

As a full-time member of the PGA Tour, Paul Waring’s best finish has been a T47 at the 2025 Canadian Open. He has battled injury and his game, but on Thursday at the 2026 Houston Open, it all came together for the 41-year-old Englishman, who opened his tournament at Memorial Park with a bogey-free 7-under 63 to command the first-round lead.

Waring arrived in Houston this week with a medical extension. His rookie season on the PGA Tour was tough sledding with 10 missed cuts and a withdrawal across 12 tournaments as he tried to power through the pain of injury. His first three starts on the PGA Tour in 2026 produced the same — three straight missed cuts — but with missed cuts came a chance to find his game.

“To be fair, I found a little bit of momentum coming forward in the last few weeks,” Waring said. “I know [I] missed cuts at Valspar [Championship] and Cognizant [Classic], but [I] felt like my golf game was in a good spot. … I gave too many shots away in the first few weeks, where this week, a lot tidier, no bogeys and holed a good amount of footage today. I think I’ve just been told I holed over 160 feet of putts today, which is massive and gives you a massive advantage.”

Waring’s 63 was the best around Memorial Park by a stroke as Gary Woodland made birdie on three of his final four holes late in the evening to post his 64. Another man who is going through a fight of his own, Woodland revealed at The Players Championship that he has been battling post-traumatic stress disorder following his 2023 brain surgery.

Open and honest, Woodland shared that the emotional and mental toll from his operation has been crippling. The PGA Tour has brought in additional security measures for when Woodland plays, as he is engulfed with anxiety and hyper awareness — common traits associated with PTSD — and has felt a massive weight lifted off his shoulders since the interview.

“The response has been … big, and it’s also been big for me because I got a lot of relief,” Woodland said. “I literally feel like I got a thousand pounds off my back that day. It was hard to do. I was crying going into the interview, and I left feeling a thousand pounds lighter. 

“I have a battle that I’m fighting, but it’s nice to not do that alone, I can tell you that. We’ll take it one day at a time and continue to get better. But the Tour out here is a family, and they’ve been amazing. The golf world’s been amazing, and I’m very thankful.”

Meanwhile, Rickie Fowler is fighting for more than just a trophy this week. Ranked No. 61 in the Official World Golf Rankings, Fowler needs a high finish to climb inside the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings and earn an invitation to the first major championship of the year.

“I had a great run last year, kind of second half of the year, and felt like I was in a good spot with my game,” Fowler said. “Was able to get some downtime to work on the body and get my shoulder in a better spot, where I wasn’t having to play through the pain. So, luckily, had played well through the summer. I had confidence knowing we could go out and kind of play some simple golf. Kind of picked up at AmEx and did a good job there of continuing that. 

“A lot of it is on the mental side, not trying to do too much or anything special, trying to kind of let the rounds come to me and piece things together and kind of plot my way around.”

Fowler stands at 3 under with world No. 80 Sahith Theegala, who is also in need of a massive performance at the place he once called home. Former Texas Longhorn Pierceson Coody fired a 70 and will battle the cutline on Friday to get the finish he needs to go from outside the Masters bubble at world No. 51 to inside that magic number.

Leader

1. Paul Waring (-7): Waring spent 2008-24 on the DP World Tour and was able to make his way to the PGA Tour thanks to a win at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship during the postseason. He would be a fool not to jump at the opportunity to play stateside, but it has been a difficult go of things ever since. Despite this, Waring believes he is close to his 2024 form. While his putting proved to be the biggest difference maker, he still connected on 14 greens in regulation and hit 9 of 13 fairways in Round 1, showing the tee-to-green play is not far behind.

“It’s not a million miles away. That week [in Abu Dhabi in 2024], I felt like I was exceptional with the wedges, which was the reason I managed to score so low,” Waring said. “I was aggressive off the tee that week, gave myself all the chances. This golf course is quite nice for me. … I would say it’s wide off the tee, it’s quite forgiving off the tee, so it gives me a chance to move the body at speed and without any fear. 

“So I could swing freely, I could and get myself into those wedge positions, especially on the par 5s. Again, all the work has been around what I did that sort of couple years ago to get myself sort of back in this place that I am now. So hopefully I can build on this today. See how the week goes.”

Contenders

2. Gary Woodland (-6)
T3. Sam Burns, Michael Brennan, Tom Hoge (-5)
T6. Marco Penge, Stephan Jaeger, Kurt Kitayama, Matt Wallace (-4)

It’s as cool as it gets. One week after Woodland opened up, he notched a top 15 finish at the Valspar Championship, and now, one week after that, he is in the mix at the Houston Open. This has been a happy hunting ground for the former U.S. Open champion in recent years with a runner-up performance a season ago to go along with finishes of T21 and T9. 

Statistically, Woodland was awesome in Round 1. He ranked second in greens in regulation and top 10 in both ball striking categories as well as putting. That’s great on paper, but even more importantly, Woodland felt comfortable inside the ropes.

“At the end of the day, it’s confidence,” Woodland said. “I’ve had some good practice over the last couple of months and I hadn’t seen anything on the course, so it’s trying to stay patient. Last week, I started to see some signs on the course. Even when I got behind the 8-ball in a couple of rounds early last week, I fought back hard at the end. I was able to get off and running today, really just played solid. Felt good out there all day, that’s a big plus.”

2026 Houston Open updated odds, picks

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

• Sam Burns: 15/2
• Gary Woodland: 12-1
• Kurt Kitayama: 13-1
• Marco Penge: 15-1
• Min Woo Lee: 18-1
• Rickie Fowler: 21-1
• Michael Brennan: 23-1
• Adam Scott: 24-1
• Stephan Jaeger: 25-1

Theegala at 32-1 is still a great play. The former Houston resident did everything one is supposed to do Thursday as he made three birdies on the three par 5s, picked one up elsewhere and dropped only one shot. He gained strokes throughout the bag and should be able to give it a good go Friday afternoon after some much-needed rest following his TGL championship and an early Round 1 tee time.

Boxing art collector Ingo Wegerich explores the stories behind iconic fight artwork, drawing on his extensive private collection. This piece centres on Anthony Joshua’s redemption win over Andy Ruiz Jr.

Following the tragic accident on December 29, 2025, on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State, Nigeria – in which two close friends and team members of Anthony Joshua, Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele, lost their lives – there has been a period of quiet around the two-time unified heavyweight champion.

Joshua has since returned to training, spending the past week in camp alongside Oleksandr Usyk, with discussions ongoing over a potential summer fight.

As attention turns back to ‘AJ’s next move, we revisit one of the defining moments of his career – and the artwork that captured it.

The Fight

The rematch between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr. on December 7, 2019, in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, was an event of extremes – sporting, financial and logistical.

Six months earlier, late-replacement Andy Ruiz Jr. had stunned the boxing world at Madison Square Garden, knocking Joshua down four times in seven rounds to claim the WBC, WBA, IBF and IBO titles. Comparisons to Mike Tyson’s defeat by Buster Douglas were inevitable.

The rematch, titled Clash on the Dunes, was not only the first heavyweight world championship staged in Saudi Arabia, but also an early marker of what has since become a new boxing Mecca.

The event came with an extraordinary financial package. Joshua reportedly earned between $60 million and $85 million, while Ruiz earned between $10 million and $13 million. The Diriyah Arena – an open-air stadium in the desert – was constructed in just six weeks and held 15,000 spectators.

At the weigh-in, the contrast was clear. Ruiz tipped the scales at 283.7lbs, more than 15lbs heavier than in the first fight, prompting suggestions he had celebrated too long. Joshua, by contrast, came in at 237¾lbs – over 10lbs lighter than before.

Inside the ring, the fight was controlled and clinical. Joshua dictated the distance, stayed disciplined, and scored consistently behind his jab and footwork. Ruiz struggled to close the gap or land anything meaningful.

After 12 rounds, Joshua reclaimed his titles via unanimous decision. The fight generated approximately 1.5 million pay-per-view buys in the UK, making it one of the best-selling events in British boxing history.

More importantly, Joshua had answered every question with a tactical masterclass.

The Artwork

Boxing News marked Clash on the Dunes with a striking painted cover in vibrant shades of yellow, gold and brown, depicting both fighters in action. The artwork was created by Hall of Fame artist Richard T. Slone.

The colour palette carries symbolic weight. Yellow, often associated with tension and inner unrest, reflects the nervous energy before the fight. Gold represents ambition, wealth and grandeur, while also evoking the Saudi setting. The tones collectively mirror desert sand – a deliberate reference to the event’s title. Brown adds a sense of tradition and timelessness.

The painting was completed before the fight, which explains why it does not reflect the eventual physical disparity between the fighters. In Slone’s depiction, Joshua appears compact and powerful, almost gladiatorial, with sharply defined musculature.

Both fighters are captured mid-exchange. Their expressions convey focus and intensity. Joshua’s eyes are closed, suggesting deep concentration, while his punch appears to drive through Ruiz with force and intent. Ruiz, mouth open, embodies exertion and determination.

The word “Destroyer” is visible on Ruiz’s shorts – a nod to his nickname, earned through his aggressive, high-output style.

The Roman numeral “II” references the rematch, but also symbolises Joshua’s attempt to rebuild after defeat — mentally as much as physically. The loss had shaken his identity as champion. Here, he appears composed, focused and resolute.

Slone’s brushwork is expressive and energetic. Through colour, movement and symbolism, he transforms a sporting moment into visual history with psychological depth.

The Artist

Richard T. Slone, a British-born artist now based in Las Vegas, is widely regarded as one of boxing’s foremost painters.

A former protégé of Joe Frazier and a member of the famed Kronk Gym, Slone has served as the official artist of the International Boxing Hall of Fame since 1996.

He has been commissioned for some of the sport’s biggest events, including Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather vs Canelo Alvarez, Canelo vs Gennadiy Golovkin, and most recently Canelo vs Terence Crawford.

His work has featured on numerous Ring Magazine and Boxing News covers, capturing the drama and emotion of boxing at the highest level.

Personal Note

I have a personal connection to this painting. I not only own it, but was also present at the fight in Saudi Arabia.

At the time, the experience felt like an adventure. The outdoor weigh-in was sparsely attended compared to other major events, and much of the atmosphere centred around the fighters’ hotel – intense, but intimate.

Shortly before the fight, light rain began to fall. It reminded me of The Rumble in the Jungle, where a heavy downpour followed shortly after the bout.

It’s a trip I will never forget – and this painting remains a vivid reminder of that experience.

Artwork Details

Ruiz Jr. vs Joshua II
Original, 2019
Richard T. Slone
Acrylic on canvas
36″ × 40″

Copyright Richard T. Slone. More of the collection can be viewed via Ingo Wegerich Fine Art Collection, or on Instagram.

England’s Paul Waring shot a seven-under 63 to lead after the first round of the Texas Children’s Houston Open.

The 41-year-old, who is playing on a medical exemption and was a late entry to the field was five under at the turn and his bogey-free round was his lowest ever on the PGA Tour.

Waring, who has only made six cuts from 26 events on the PGA Tour, is one shot clear of former US Open champion Gary Woodland, while Sam Burns, Tom Hoge, and Michael Brennan are two shots behind at five under.

Englishman Marco Penge is a stroke further back at four under alongside his compatriot Matt Wallace.

World number Scottie Scheffler is not competing due to the imminent birth of his second child, while Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy is also missing as he prepares to defend his Masters crown in April.

Wales manager Craig Bellamy says he’s “disappointed” his side couldn’t hold on for victory in their World Cup play-off semi final against Bosnia-Herzegovina, as they conceded an 86th minute equaliser, before going on to lose on penalties after extra time.

READ MORE: Wales suffer agonising World Cup play-off shootout loss to Bosnia

Kai Rooney has received some unwelcome news just days after his latest Manchester United success

Kai Rooney has confirmed he will miss the rest of the season after picking up an injury.

The 16-year-old had been on a major rise in trajectory for Manchester United after making seven appearances and finding the net twice. The teenager was part of the U16s side that won the Premier League Shield and has featured for Darren Fletcher’s U18s team throughout this campaign.

Kai is aiming to follow in his father Wayne’s footsteps at Old Trafford. The forward became an icon at United, scoring 253 goals and assisting 143 times in 559 appearances for the club.

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He won a plethora of silverware, including five Premier League titles, one Champions League, a Europa League trophy and plenty of domestic cups.

Kai had been developing well at United this season but a spanner has now been thrown into the works. Here, The Manchester Evening News has all the latest on the teenage superstar.

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Heartbreaking injury

Kai Rooney confirmed he has sustained an injury that will rule him out for the rest of the season. This will in turn deny the teenager the chance of featuring in the U18s bid for glory in the FA Youth Cup.

In a sad post on his Instagram story, the 16-year-old wrote: “Disappointed to be out for the rest of the season. Back stronger next pre-season,” alongside a red love heart emoji. The caption was written on top of a black-and-white image of Kai in a United kit during a game.

The United youth side have been finding success with Kai in the squad, as he made his first appearance at Old Trafford in a FA Youth Cup fourth-round win over Derby County. The team will face Crystal Palace in the semi-finals and will face the same opponents at Selhurst Park in the Premier League Cup final.

The U18s are locked in a battle at the top of the league with Manchester City but Kai will now no longer be able to participate in the run-in.

Support from within

Parents Wayne and Coleen were on hand to support Kai at his final appearance before his injury was confirmed. The 16-year-old helped the U16s to a statement 2-0 win in the Premier League Shield on Tuesday.

The Rooney clan were in attendance to cheer Kai on as Wayne posted a picture of the teenager with a medal around his neck on social media. Youngest brother Cass was also there to take in the victory.

Despite previously banning his famous dad from attending the games as per Coleen, the young star’s mother admitted he is used to handling fame. Speaking to The Times, Coleen said: “He’s lived it from a young age.

“When we used to go to matches when he was younger and he’d get a lot of people coming up saying, ‘Oh, are you Wayne Rooney’s son?’

“But he is strong-minded and he always has been. I’ve got no worries about the way he deals with it. It’s nice that we know what to expect.

“And we can try to guide him. Obviously, it’s his life, his passion. He can decide what he wants to do. But I think it’s good we’ve got the knowledge.”

Statement made

Kai has been enjoying a great year so far in the youth brackets of United’s academy set-up. After scoring for the U18s, the teenager has been offered a scholarship in the youth system and will be able to sign a professional deal next campaign.

The youngster has also signed with Triple S Sports, an agency that secured a long-term deal with dad Wayne. Other United first-team stars, including Harry Maguire, are among the agency’s clients.

They announced the signing on Instagram with a caption that said: “Delighted to announce the signing of @kairooney.10 to Triple S Sports! We’re excited to begin working with the Manchester United forward as he continues his journey in the game. A bright future ahead.”

The left-winger signed a boot deal with Puma in 2022 when he was just 12 years old, too. However, Kai is not allowed to wear his Puma boots when playing for the U16s due to a longstanding club policy.

Speaking to the Smith Brothers: Not A Podcast, dad Wayne said: “He’s obviously with Puma but when he plays for the Manchester United U16s, something which I really like is he can’t wear his Puma boots.

“All the academy have to wear the same boots. They do it because there’s people from areas where they can’t afford certain boots so I think it’s really good. But he’s played for the U18s a few times and he can then wear his Puma boots. He’s doing well to be fair to him.”

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What will MS Dhoni‘s role be for Chennai Super Kings? The former captain’s presence is always a confidence booster for the five-time champions. But even his ardent fans would agree that the Dhoni of now is not the same as the Dhoni of five years ago. Dhoni only plays the IPL, and from the videos available on social media, it’s clear that the legendary captain is putting in all the effort to turn up in top shape for Chennai Super Kings. But will he be used as an Impact Player?

Former India and CSK star Ravichandran Ashwin was asked whether he sees MS Dhoni playing all the matches and keeping wickets. Ashwin’s reply was interesting.

“I think Dhoni will have a critical role in supporting this new bowling line-up on the field. What happened last year with MS? I was also there last year. MS wanted to play the last three overs, but the top order did not score much, and he had to come in around the 10th to 12th overs. This time, they have added power in the top order to avoid this. Maybe this time, out of 14 games, he will get to bat higher only in 3-4 games; otherwise, he will only come in at the end. His biggest role will be in keeping, setting the field, and giving a shoulder to Ruturaj. He can be the big brother,” he said on Ash ki Baat.

“I do not agree that he has to stay on the Impact list. If he is in the squad, he has to play. If he does not want to, he should not play the entire season, that is it. I am not in agreement with him being an Impact Player. He 100 per cent believes he can contribute, and that’s why MS is playing. Otherwise, he is the sort of guy who will not hang around.

“We are seeing his videos. He has been practising for the last three months. ‘Mujhe khelna hai, aap ko jo bhi sochna hai socho’ (I will play, you can think whatever you want). That is the message he is giving. I don’t think he is your top-six batter, but he can play a double role. He can be a compass for Ruturaj. If he wouldn’t be playing, he wouldn’t be practising this hard. I think MS will keep wickets and will bat at No. 7.”

Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra said that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and India icon MS Dhoni cannot play as an Impact Player – and if he does, it is time for the 44-year-old to “hang up his boots.”