Terence Crawford may have retired with an unbeaten record but Eddie Hearn doesn’t believe that should have been the case.

‘Bud’ hung up the gloves in December after winning all 42 of his professional fights, becoming a five-division world champion in the process.

That included the undisputed crown at light welterweight, welterweight and super middleweight, making him just the second boxer in history to become undisputed in three separate divisions.

Crawford picked up a number of notable wins over the years, such as the likes of Errol Spence, Shawn Porter and most notably Canelo Alvarez in his final outing, but it is a clash from 2024 that Matchroom promoter Hearn felt ‘Bud’ should have lost.

Speaking directly to the former pound-for-pound king during the TNT broadcast of the Andy Ruiz vs. Damian Knyba fight, Hearn reflected on a Crawford bout that he promoted in Los Angeles.

“I thought you lost that fight against Madrimov.”

Crawford fought Israil Madrimov in his first and only appearance at 154lbs, claiming a unanimous decision victory to earn the WBA super welterweight title, though it proved to be a much closer contest than many fans expected.

The three judges scored the fight 115-113, 115-113 and 116-112 in Crawford’s favour, and whilst most onlookers felt that was probably the correct outcome, Hearn was promoting Madrimov in the bout, so it isn’t a surprise that he still believes ‘Bud’ was fortunate.

Hearn wasn’t the only one to have an exchange with Crawford during the Ruiz vs. Knyba event, with two-weight world champion Jaron Ennis also involved in a war of words with the retired star.

The Minnesota Vikings start the 2026 season by hosting the Green Bay Packers at US Bank Stadium in Week 1. It gives the Vikings a chance to start the season by taking an advantage in the division much like they did last season when they beat the Chicago Bears in Week 1.

Know Your Enemy: Week 1 – Green Bay Packers

Head Coach: Matt LaFleur

Star Players: Jordan Love (QB), Josh Jacobs (RB), Micah Parsons (OLB), Edgerrin Cooper (LB), Xavier McKinney (S).

Current Record: 0-0

I have picked Green Bay to finish last in the division, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if they were playing football when January comes around. They have managed that in all but one of the seven seasons since Matt LaFleur became head coach. I don’t think this is one of the strongest Packers teams but they will still be competitive.

The Vikings and Packers have had a hard fought rival since the Vikings entered the league in 1961. There have been a total of 131 meeting between the two teams with Green Bay leading the series 67-61-3. However, it is Minnesota who has had the better of the most recent meetings, winning three of the last four.

Players to Watch

Green Bay was patient with the development of Jordan Love and have reaped the rewards. Love has become a reliable starting quarterback who has helped lead his team to the playoffs every season since becoming the starter. The question is whether he can turn the regular season success into playoff success. Since winning his first playoff game it has been three straight losses.

The Packers signed Xavier McKinney in free agency heading into the 2024 season, and it proved an inspired signing. McKinney had eight interceptions for 128 yards, 11 passes defended, 1 fumble recovery, 1 sack, and 2 tackles for loss, on his way to first team All-Pro Honours. The stat line wasn’t as impressive in Year 2 but McKinney was still excellent in the Packers’ secondary and will pose the biggest problem to the Vikings passing attack.

The Packers Have Problems Heading Into Week 1

Preparations for the opening game of the season have been far from ideal in Green Bay. The Packers traded for a defensive superstar in Micah Parsons last year but the Vikings won’t have to worry about him this week. Parsons is still on the road to recovery from a torn ACL suffered at the back end of last season. He is still a few weeks away from returning and will be a huge loss for Green Bay.

There have been injury concerns on the offensive line with Aaron Banks and Zach Bako-Bewele both missing throughout the preseason while working back from knee injuries. Both should be in the mix on Sunday but individual sharpness and the continuity of an OL working together might not be there.

Green Bay’s offense is supposed to run through their workhorse running back Josh Jacobs. That might not be happening on Sunday after Jacobs was put on the commissioner-exempt list following an incident that saw him charged after some serious allegations. His court date has been moved forward to this week, which leaves his status uncertain.

Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.

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The Dallas Cowboys have a lot of new faces on defense, including defensive coordinator Christian Parker, and one of the featured elements of their defense is pumped about how they’re shaping up on that side of the ball.

“The growth, it’s like night and day,” Cowboys star defensive tackle Quinen Williams said about the team’s defensive growth on Wednesday, according to the Cowboys’ team website. “Starting in OTAs, and starting the first week of training camp, getting a chance to go against one of the best offenses in battle every single day has helped us tremendously. The mindset coming from the coaches, top down to the players and to the leadership, has been drastically changed. It’s just fun, man.

“I just can’t wait to see the process and the results from all the hard work. But, we’re not done yet.”

In 2025 under defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, Dallas was last in the NFL in opponent passing yards (251.5 per game) and opponent points (30.1 per game), 30th in opponent total yards (377.0 per game), tied for 22nd in sacks (35.0) and 10th outright in opponent rushing yards (125.5 per game).

The year prior (2024), the Cowboys were 31st in opponent points and 28th in opponent total yards under defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. For context, the Cowboys were fifth in opponent points in 2022 and 2023, seventh in opponent points in 2021 and fifth in opponent total yards in 2023. The aforementioned success came under defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who left Dallas after a three-year stint in the role (2021-23) to become the head coach of the Washington Commanders.

The Cowboys moved on from Eberflus in favor of Parker, the former Philadelphia Eagles passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach. This is Parker’s first stint as an NFL defensive coordinator.

“It’s been amazing
— from where we started off in OTAs to where we are at now,” Williams said about the team’s defensive progression. “We’ve got some fine-tuning, some things to clean up, some things to do, but I feel comfortable. The progressions that we made, the growth and the development that we have made, and to go into the right direction that we wanted to go into.”

Dallas signed Williams, a 2022 All-Pro and a Pro Bowler in each of the last four years, to a three-year, $105.9 million extension in August, with the $35.3 million average annual value second among NFL interior defensive linemen.

In a 2025 campaign split between the Cowboys and New York Jets – Dallas acquired Williams from New York at last season’s NFL trade deadline for a 2027 first-round pick, a 2026 second-rounder and defensive lineman and 2023 first-rounder Mazi Smith – Williams logged a combined 2.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, one interception and 53 combined tackles across 15 regular-season games. He ranked second among defensive linemen with an 88.8 overall grade and seventh with 51 total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

As for the players joining Williams, Dallas signed safety Jalen Thompson (three-year, $33 million deal) and cornerback Cobie Durant (one-year, $4 million deal) and acquired veteran linebacker Rashan Gary from the Green Bay Packers, among other moves. Regarding the draft, the Cowboys traded up one spot to select Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs with the No. 11 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and also selected UCF Knights linebacker Malachi Lawrence with the No. 23 pick.

Dallas opens its 2026 regular season on the road against the New York Giants on Sept. 13.

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As the Champions League resumes, Real Madrid are hosting Inter Milan. Speaking at a press conference, Kylian Mbappé believes he has every chance of winning the Ballon d’Or.

First Published: Sep 08 2026 | 10:07 AM IST

Chantelle Cameron is eager to secure a mega fight with Claressa Shields, but equally recognises that Mikaela Mayer could throw a spanner in the works.

The 35-year-old unanimously outpointed Mayer last Saturday, becoming a unified super-welterweight champion on what she views as the greatest night of her illustrious career.

But while there happens to be a rematch clause in their contract, Cameron has nonetheless turned her attention to pound-for-pound star Shields, who called out the Brit immediately after her triumph in Birmingham.

Since then, their respective teams have engaged in negotiations, yet Cameron has told Boxing News that Mayer could scupper their potential showdown.

“There is that risk [of Mayer demanding an immediate rematch] because it’s obviously boxing, isn’t it? If the shoe was on the other foot, I would’ve had to potentially wait for her to box Claressa Shields.

“But Mikaela Mayer didn’t win – I won, so it’s winner stays on. And Claressa Shields has said she wants to fight me. [Mayer will] have the rematch, but she can wait.”

As far as a clash with middleweight queen Shields goes, only time will tell, but Cameron insists that, if she is to rematch Mayer, it simply must be over a scheduled 10 three-minute rounds.

Even during the typical two-minute rounds, though, Cameron almost surprised herself at how convincingly she was able to defeat her American foe.

“I thought it was going to be a harder fight, if I’m honest. I do think some of the rounds were close but, physically, I felt like the stronger woman. I was catching her with some big shots and I think she felt my power.”

It was, indeed, a clear victory in favour of the Northampton woman, who ranks this triumph even higher than her majority decision win over Katie Taylor in 2023.

“I feel like it was definitely better than the Katie Taylor fight. I always knew I’d beat Katie Taylor – the only thing I was questioning was beating Katie Taylor in Ireland.

“So, for me to turn up and beat Katie in her country – on her show – was a huge ask. And I did it. But I feel like Mikaela Mayer was a bigger challenge.”

While she felt that Mayer was, on paper, a tougher challenge – given her height and reach advantages – Cameron ultimately rose to the occasion and produced one of her finest performances.

This, she explains, is partly because Mayer’s attitude at their weigh-in – where they exchanged unpleasantries – lit a fire that made her approach their contest with an added degree of tenacity.

At the same time, though, the WBC, WBO and WBA champion admits that she slightly regrets her behaviour during the fight itself.

“I am a bit gutted, because I generally did like Mikaela Mayer. I thought she was cool and I had a lot of respect for her.

“[The confrontation] definitely [elevated my performance] but I think it turned me into a bit of a dick, to be honest.

“Before the fight, she was sticking her tongue out at me. Then I did the same and was saying stuff to her during the fight. It was just stupid. It was entertaining for everyone else but was that sort of behaviour a good demonstration of women’s boxing? I’m not sure.”

Antics aside, Cameron remains a class act and role model, having become a two-division world champion and British boxing legend.

And, indeed, she will look to further enhance her legacy soon enough, whether it be in a rematch with Mayer or a dare-to-be-great encounter with Shields.

A race day workout at Randwick has the undefeated colt St Gotthard on course for a first-up run in the Run To The Rose, where he is set to encounter three talented stablemates.

The Group 2 winner was one of three colts from the Chris Waller stable to undertake solo exhibition gallops at Randwick on Saturday, alongside Fireball and Tron Bolt. All are being prepared for the Golden Rose lead-up next Saturday at Rosehill, with the Rosebud placegetter Central Europe also expected to participate in the sprint.

Tron Bolt recorded the fastest time of the three workers at Randwick, covering 1000m in 1:07.93 and completing his final 600m in 38.07 seconds. While Waller would prefer his charges didn’t have to compete against each other, he noted they were all gifted and pursuing Group One victories for their records.

“They are lovely colts and all on the same path. They’ve got to try and win Group Ones in the spring,” Waller commented. “Most likely, they start at Rosehill in the Run To The Rose. It is an important starting point for our three. It is unavoidable (they clash).”

Future targets were also mentioned: “The Golden Rose, Coolmore (Stud Stakes), big sprints, Caulfield Guineas and obviously big feature races in Sydney are in the plans.”

St Gotthard and Central Europe are raced by similar ownership groups, led by Coolmore, and both colts boast stallion-worthy pedigrees. Waller expressed it was unfortunate they were on an early spring collision course but confirmed the Run To The Rose (1200m) was the appropriate race for each. He believes Central Europe requires another run before the Golden Rose (1400m) on September 26.

“I would have liked to have split him and St Gotthard up with similar ownership,” Waller said. “But I think Central Europe needs another sprint race before he gets out to 1400 metres.”

The Run To The Rose is one of four black-type races at Rosehill on Saturday, alongside the Theo Marks Stakes (1300m), Sheraco Stakes (1200m), and the Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m).

With the Run To The Rose approaching, the betting sites are expected to offer competitive racing odds.

SMU did everything it could to give Florida State a chance to win Monday night. Instead, the Mustangs got out of Tallahassee with a 27-24 win after a 20-yard field goal from Nick Reed with 21 seconds to go.

Once the game finally started after a 100-minute delay because of a power outage at Doak Campbell Stadium, it was clear that SMU was the better team.

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Yet the Mustangs were also the team that kept making more mistakes. SMU turned the ball over four times, missed a field goal and committed a penalty on an FSU field goal attempt that led to a game-tying touchdown in the third quarter. It was an incredibly sloppy effort from SMU, yet Florida State could not capitalize.

The Mustangs’ fourth turnover came with 6:33 to go and the game tied at 24-24. Safety Ashlynd Barker read QB Kevin Jennings’ eyes for an interception and gave Florida State a chance to take its first lead of the night.

Instead, the Seminoles’ offense lost seven yards on three plays after Ashton Daniels was sacked on third down. That down was FSU’s nemesis all night. Florida State punted the ball back to SMU, and the Mustangs got into position for an easy field goal thanks to a 29-yard completion to Dramekco Green on third down with less than three minutes to go.

Michael ‘Venom’ Page posted an inspirational message after his win over Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Paris.

The British star won via unanimous decision, and it was the last fight of his current UFC deal. Reports later confirmed that Page had been removed from the UFC rankings, suggesting that the promotion was not going to offer him a new deal.

The former Bellator star thanked his fans for the support and added that bigger things were on the way for him:

“Thank you Paris for having me. I’m grateful for the support you gave me. Stepping in the cage is a privilege I do not take for granted and I look forward to bigger challenges.”

Check out Michael Page’s comments on his UFC Paris win below:

Page was one of the hottest signings the UFC had made from Bellator, but his performances in the octagon weren’t all that impressive.

He won five of his six UFC fights, but didn’t have a single finish in those wins. The British star’s only loss came at the hands of Ian Machado Garry, with that fight also going the distance.

Page currently holds a 26-3 record in his MMA career, and the UFC hasn’t shared an official statement regarding his release.

Michael Page willing to change style after Paris win

While speaking backstage to the UFC after his win in Paris, Michael ‘Venom’ Page was keen on working on his game to become more exciting.

“The results show that I haven’t done enough. Probably, I need to push myself a little more, take a few more risks.”

The former Bellator star added that he believed there was more to give in the octagon, and that was frustrating for him. However, he believed he could beat everyone, but finishing opponents might not be for him:

“There’s not one person in the world that can stand with me. But there’s too many people that can survive with me. That’s the problem. That’s what I need to change.”

The 39-year-old added that he needed to work on his output and take more risks, and was keen on discussing his future with the UFC too:

“I gotta sit down with the UFC and have an honest conversation, and say I know I can do better, I’m aspiring to do better.”