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Moses Itauma’s only focus is on beating Filip Hrgovic at O2 Arena

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Moses Itauma has shut down talk of future stadium fights and insisted his sole focus is on claiming the world heavyweight title with victory over Filip Hrgovic on August 29.

British heavyweight prospect Itauma (14-0, 12KOs) will fight for the vacant IBF crown in his 15th professional fight at O2 Arena and aim to remain on course to dominate the blue-riband division for the next decade.

Queensberry promoter Frank Warren last week described the 21-year-old as the “hottest young boxer” in the world and predicted a Wembley blockbuster showdown with Daniel Dubois in 2027 if Croatian power-puncher Hrgovic (20-1, 15KOs) can be navigated in London.

Yet, Itauma told British media on Friday: “I haven’t really thought about that to be honest.

“If I don’t get past Hrgovic, there ain’t going to be no stadium fights.”

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The short and sharp nature of Itauma’s answer fits with his current image and resume, which contains 12 knockout wins and eight inside three minutes.

It is those numbers sprinkled in with devastating finishes, like the uppercut to end his last bout with Jermaine Franklin in Manchester, that has made Warren and plenty of other boxing experts anoint Itauma as the future of the sport.

The dream of being called out as world heavyweight champion first entered the consciousness of the Chatham southpaw at the age of 16 to 17 when Queensberry had already secured his signature.

Whilst Itauma is ready to deliver under the London lights, he has been candid enough to admit at an unease with his growing presence in the public eye.

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“Maybe 16 or 17,” Itauma said. “(My aim) was becoming the youngest (world heavyweight champion) and it was all the money and fame that came after.

“Then when I started progressing through my career, I saw the negative side of it, I was kind of like, ‘I might not want this,’ but the way I am heading, like I said, I might not have a choice.

“I just try to be authentic when I am on the camera and then in my boxing, I guess they see I am putting on entertaining fights, so that might have a part to play in it.

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“I don’t really know. I’m not braggadocious, I’m not swaggerdocious, I don’t do anything extraordinary outside of the ring.

“In my mind it might be because I come across like myself. I don’t try to be anyone else.

“I remember the Jermaine Franklin fight, yeah when everybody was going, ‘oh Moses Itauma,’ and I just want to sit there and appreciate it, but it’s hard because I’m in the ring fighting!

“You try to appreciate and take it in but at the same time you don’t want to be starstruck and get caught out.”

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Hrgovic has talked down Itauma’s CV and stoked the fire before this world title fight, but received a warning from his opponent.

“Ah man, nobody comes to watch heavyweights and two guys go to points,” Itauma said, with a menacing smile.

“If you are watching the heavyweight division, you want to see some knockouts.”

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Adrian Bott Considers The Rosebud For Revengeance’s 2026 Return

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Jockey in white and blue silks rides a brown racehorse with saddlecloth No. 1 along the rails at Rosehill Gardens.

Trainer Adrian Bott is considering a start for Golden Gift winner Revengeance in The Rosebud, with the final decision to be made after trackwork on Tuesday. An alternative is another barrier trial before his comeback.

The colt is slated for nomination in Saturday’s Listed Rosehill sprint, but his final commitment will depend on his fitness evaluation following his week’s gallop.

“He’ll be nominated, but it’s whether he runs there or whether we lean towards a trial and go to the San Domenico Stakes as a kick off,” Bott said. “We will probably make a call on Tuesday morning before acceptances. We’ll see the nominations, and get a gauge off his work there on Tuesday.”

Bott added, “He’s come back well. Either way, he’ll be better suited once he gets up to 1400 and a mile. He’s going to be that style of horse this ‘prep’, but he will try to head towards a Golden Rose.”

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Revengeance debuted with a third in the Breeders’ Plate last October before winning the Golden Gift at his second outing, and was among the early contenders for the Golden Slipper. However, a subsequent diagnosis of bone chips in a knee necessitated surgery, sidelining him for the autumn.

The colt has participated in two barrier trials ahead of his return. If he does not compete at Rosehill, he will feature in another Randwick trial this Friday, with a likely resumption in the San Domenico Stakes (1100m) on August 29.

Stablemate Eviction Notice, the runner-up in the Silver Slipper Stakes, will also be entered for The Rosebud (1100m).

He has placed in two recent winter return runs, giving him a fitness edge for the three-year-old feature.

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“Eviction Notice might be a lighter weight chance in the race. He would have the advantage of being fit as he’s had a couple of runs,” Bott stated.

Compare betting markets for the race at online bookmakers.

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Alas Pilipinas girls face crucial test vs Peru in U17 worlds

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Caera Celis Alas Pilipinas girls FIVB U17 World ChampionshipCaera Celis Alas Pilipinas girls FIVB U17 World Championship

Alas Pilipinas girls’ Caera Celis.–CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Alas Pilipinas girls chase a place in the next tier of the FIVB Volleyball Girls U17 World Championship, looking to turn their first appearance on the global stage into something more than just participation.

With two huge wins under their belt and two pool matches still to play, the Philippines has a foot in the round of 16 and will try to cement its place against World No. 6 Peru on Tuesday (Manila time) at Liceo Particular Mixto San Felipe.

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The Philippines, the lowest-ranked team in Pool B at No. 25, has already shaken up the order with a 2-1 win-loss record, sitting second behind top-ranked China after historic victories over No. 8 Mexico and No. 20 Tunisia. The top four from the six-team pools advance to the Round of 16, and a straight-sets victory by the Philippines will not only seal passage into the next round but put the Alas girls in a potential top two finish in the group.

READ: Alas Pilipinas squads continue history-making ways

Team manager and assistant coach Karl Chan said what Alas Pilipinas Girls have done to this point is commendable, but the next stage is within reach and they need to seize the moment.

“The players understand what is at stake right now, what they need to do, and what our goals are,” Chan said.

“We’re not done yet. The next step is to make the Round of 16. We can’t get complacent just because we beat two top teams. We still have two more top teams to beat, so we have to keep the same focus.”

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Mental performance coach Wynnette Bernardo said the players have shown little regard for the rankings, focusing instead on what they need to do.

“They’re really just focused on winning. They’re not thinking, ‘Oh this is a top 8 team’ or anything like that,” Bernardo said.

“Take Caera Celis, for example, she has this ‘I don’t care mindset’. It’s really ‘I’m just going to play my game.’”

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READ: Alas girls sweep Tunisia, boost chances of advancing in U17 worlds

Celis has consistently led the team in scoring, while Xyz Rayco has slowly rediscovered her killer form and re-emerged as one of the go-to scorers in the clutch. Princess Khaira Manzano, Madele Gale and Sharina Lleses have also proven to be valuable contributors.

Alas Pilipinas winds up its pool play assignment with a match against world No. 12 Venezuela.

World No. 6 Peru is running third with five points from two wins in three matches, while Venezuela has a 1-2 record and sits in fourth at the tournament break. Mexico is in fifth, followed by Tunisia.

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Assistant coach Oliver Balse expects the players’ level to rise, and he was bold enough to say he sees straight-sets wins coming.



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“It’s going to get better from here. They’ve gotten acclimatized, they’ve gained confidence as well. We just need to maintain their focus and keep motivating them to do more.”

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Im so over this group

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KATSEYE faced criticism following its recent performance at the Head In The Clouds festival, with some fans questioning the group’s reaction after Manon’s name was chanted by the audience. On August 8, 2026, KATSEYE headlined the music festival with a 60-minute set. The group performed as a quartet, with group leader Sophia and fellow member Manon currently on hiatus.

During the performance, group member Lara asked the audience to send their love to Sophia. While some fans appreciated the gesture, others questioned why Manon was not mentioned, given that she was also away from group activities.

The situation drew further attention later in the set Lara encouraged the audience to say, “I love you, Sophia.” Instead, sections of the crowd responded by loudly chanting Manon’s name.

The members appeared caught off guard by the reaction. Lara responded with a brief, seemingly flustered “Well…” before the performance continued without the group directly acknowledging the chants.

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Clips of the moment quickly circulated on social media, prompting debate among KATSEYE fans. Some criticized the members’ reaction and described it as awkward. One fan wrote,

“mannn Im so over this group,”

mannn im so over this group

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Fans questioned why Manon was not given a similar shoutout, with some accusing the group of continuing to single her out. Others called on HxG to address the situation, arguing that the incident has only intensified concerns over Manon’s treatment.

Where’s an I love you Manon? Her treatment is crazy and targeted. HxG give us a statement. None of this is normal. I heard “we love you Manon”

omgg why would they say a sophia shout out when itd obviously just bring the topic of manon up as well 😭😭😭😭

bruhhhhh. i cannot keep defending them when they’re so outwardly complicit in manons continued mistreatment. hxg NEEDS to drop the statement asap to stop half of their hate.

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Other fans also admitted that the group’s reaction to Manon’s name felt unusually uncomfortable and difficult to overlook.

I don’t like feeding into the narratives here bc we truly don’t know what went down (Manon was obviously wronged but we don’t know the details) but like this is a little too crazy why were they like “well…” 😭😭😭😭

Love the girls but this weird

What’s the problem with saying Manon’s name, ffs, whether she’s in the group or not, I don’t see an issue

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KATSEYE’s Sophia Laforteza takes hiatus to prioritize mental health and well-being ahead of Wild release

KATSEYE’s Sophia Laforteza would be taking a temporary break from the group’s activities to focus on her mental health and well-being. The singer announced her hiatus on August 7, 2026, with HYBE and Geffen Records confirming that she will step away from promotional schedules for the time being. According to the agencies,

“Sophia has been [..] following thorough consultations with medical professionals, it has been advised that she take dedicated time for extended rest and ongoing care to ensure a full recovery. While Sophia herself is eager to perform alongside her members, the health, safety, and long-term well-being of our artists will always remain our highest priority.”

Her condition was expected to be reassessed in September, when the agencies plan to provide another update. Laforteza also addressed EYEKONS directly through her Instagram Stories following the announcement. She acknowledged that missing upcoming activities would be difficult, particularly because of her love for performing and spending time with fans. The KATSEYE leader explained,

“It truly breaks my heart to have to miss out on a lot. You know how much I love being on stage, performing, and sharing these moments with you. Making this decision wasn’t easy, but I’m learning that health has to come first. I’m realizing that if I don’t take care of my mind and body now, I won’t be able to keep doing what I love the most for so long.”

Laforteza then thanked the group’s fandom, EYEKONS, for their patience and support and asked them to continue supporting KATSEYE while she remains away from the group.

“Thank you for being so patient, understanding, and always showing me so much love. It means more to me than I could ever say. I promise I’m going to work as hard as I can to get through this, heal properly, and come back stronger. ‘Til then, please continue to be kind and give KATSEYE all your love and support as we fulfill our promise to show up for you in every way we can. I’ll be here as one of the EYEKONS in the meantime with y’all, See you soon” said the singer.

With Laforteza temporarily absent, KATSEYE will carry out its scheduled activities with Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel and Yoonchae Jeung. The hiatus comes just days before the release of KATSEYE’s upcoming EP, Wild, which is set to arrive on August 13.

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The group is also scheduled to embark on a fall tour beginning September 1, with dates planned across the U.K., Europe, Canada and the U.S. The tour is currently scheduled to conclude in Mexico City on November 27. Laforteza’s return will depend on her recovery, with further information expected after her health is reassessed in September.