In two months’ time, Fabio Wardley will defend his WBO world title against Daniel Dubois in one of the most anticipated heavyweight fights of the year.

The two knockout artists are set to meet at Manchester’s Co-op Live, with Wardley looking to legitimise himself as champion after being promoted from holding the interim belt last year. Dubois, coming off a loss to Oleksandr Usyk, has the chance to hold a heavyweight title for the second time at 28-years-old.

Speaking on TalkSport Boxing, 35-fight heavyweight Allen, who has sparred Dubois in the past, said the belts will change hands on the night.

“I think Dubois wins. I always pick against Wardley though, because common sense dictates that Fabio Wardley shouldn’t be beating the men that he’s beating. But he is.

“The difference between Dubois and Wardley’s opponents – Huni, Parker, Gorman, all brilliant boxers – they’re not punchers like Dubois is. And I think Fabio gets hit too much. I think against Dubois he can’t afford to take even one. I think Dubois will do him.”

In a previous prediction, Allen said he believes Dubois will ‘land the big one first’ in a battle of the power punchers to end it inside six rounds.

In this latest interview, however, the fan-favourite heavyweight from Doncaster says he is aware that his prediction will likely fuel Wardley to prove his doubter wrong yet again.

“Fabio will probably be happy to hear that, because I’ve said it like eight times now and I’ve been wrong every time.”

Eileen Gu released a statement on social media Monday, reflecting on her controversial decision to compete for Team China despite being born and raised in the U.S. 

Gu’s statement tied the decision back to her passion for promoting women’s sports, and encouraging young girls to pursue sports. 

“I gave my first speech on women in sports and title IX when I was 11 years old. I talked about being the only girl on my ski team, and, despite attending an all-girls’ school from Monday through Friday, becoming best friends with my teammates on the weekends through the common language of sport,” Gu wrote on Instagram. 

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Silver medalist Eileen Gu of China poses for photos after the awarding ceremony of the freestyle skiing women’s freeski big air event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 16, 2026. (Photo by Wang Peng/Xinhua via Getty Images) (Wang Peng/Xinhua via Getty Images)

“At the same time, I was made painfully aware of the lack of representation – at age 9, I felt that I was somehow representing all women every time I stepped in the terrain park. Landing tricks was about more than progression … it was about disproving the derisive implication of what it meant to ‘ski like a girl.’”

Gu went on to express gratitude for the one season in which she did compete for the U.S. 

“When I was 15, I announced my decision to compete for China. At the time, I had spent one season on the US team, and had been lucky enough to meet my heroes in person. I am forever grateful for that season, and continue to maintain a close relationship with the team. I had spent every summer in China since I was 8 setting up summer camps on trampoline and dry slope for kids and adults, ranging from 7 to 47 years old, so I knew the industry was tiny. I felt like I knew everyone,” she added. 

“Skiing for Team China meant the opportunity to uplift others through the universal culture of sport, and to introduce freeskiing to hundreds of millions of people who had never heard of it, especially with the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics around the corner.”

Gu’s statement concluded by acknowledging that certain people “don’t understand” her decision to compete for China over the U.S., while insisting the choice maximized the impact she would have. 

“I can look back now, at 22, and tell 12 year old Eileen that there are now terrain parks full of little girls, who will never doubt their place in the sport. I can tell 15 year old me that there are now millions of girls who have started skiing since then, in China and worldwide,” Gu wrote. 

“A lot of people won’t understand or believe that I made a decision to create the greatest amount of positive impact on the world stage that I could, at this age, given my interests and passions. Three golds and six medals later, I can confidently say was once a dream is now a reality.”

Gu has become a target for global criticism this Olympics for her decision to represent China while remaining silent on the country’s alleged human rights abuses.

In an interview with Time magazine, Gu was asked her thoughts on China’s alleged persecution of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim minorities in Xinjiang. 

“I haven’t done the research. I don’t think it’s my business. I’m not going to make big claims on my social media,” Gu answered.

“I’m just more of a skeptic when it comes to data in general. … So, it’s not like I can read an article and be like, ‘Oh, well, this must be the truth.’ I need to have a ton of evidence. I need to maybe go to the place, maybe talk to 10 primary source people who are in a location and have experienced life there.

“Then I need to go see images. I need to listen to recordings. I need to think about how history affects it. Then I need to read books on how politics affects it. This is a lifelong search. It’s irresponsible to ask me to be the mouthpiece for any agenda.”

More controversy surrounding Gu erupted after The Wall Street Journal reported that Gu and another American-born athlete who now competes for China, were paid a combined $6.6 million by the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau in 2025.

Gu is the highest-paid Winter Olympics athlete in the world, making an estimated $23 million in 2025 alone due to partnerships with Chinese companies, including the Bank of China and western companies. 

Her alignment with China prompted criticism from many Americans this Olympics, including Vice President J.D. Vance. 

“I certainly think that someone who grew up in the United States of America who benefited from our education system, from the freedoms and liberties that makes this country a great place, I would hope they want to compete with the United States of America,” Vance said in an interview on Fox News’ “The Story with Martha MacCallum.”

Later, when Gu was asked if she feels “like a bit of a punching bag for a certain strand of American politics at the moment,” she said she does. 

“I do,” she said. “So many athletes compete for a different country. … People only have a problem with me doing it because they kind of lump China into this monolithic entity, and they just hate China. So, it’s not really about what they think it’s about.

“And, also, because I win. Like, if I wasn’t doing well, I think that they probably wouldn’t care as much, and that’s OK for me. People are entitled to their opinions.”

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Silver medalist Eileen Gu of China attends the awarding ceremony of the freestyle skiing women’s freeski big air event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 16, 2026.  (Hongxiang/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Gu has claimed she was “physically assaulted” for the decision.  

“The police were called. I’ve had death threats. I’ve had my dorm robbed,” Gu told The Athletic. 

“I’ve gone through some things as a 22-year-old that I really think no one should ever have to endure, ever.”

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Manchester United travel to Newcastle’s St James’ Park hoping to continue Michael Carrick’s unbeaten run

Manchester United travel to Newcastle tonight with plenty to ponder. Michael Carrick’s return has been an overwhelming success with a draw at West Ham the only blemish so far. Despite the comeback win over Crystal Palace, the Reds’ interim head coach has a headache when it comes to his team selection.

In his pre-match press conference, Carrick confirmed both Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw struggled with illness during the win vs Palace and are doubts to feature against Newcastle. Shaw lasted just 24 minutes on Sunday and Noussair Mazraoui did well when he came off the bench and would deserve his first start under Carrick.

As for Maguire, he impressed despite his illness and lasted longer than Shaw, suggesting he could be in a better position to start. If the centre-back is anything short of one hundred per cent, he must sit out.

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Ayden Heaven would be the logical replacement to play alongside Leny Yoro. Earlier this season, the former Arsenal academy star was one of the standout defenders in this United team. A return to the starting XI would be a huge chance for him to prove his worth again.

The midfield continues to pick itself with Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo the standout options. Amad lost his place in the starting line-up on Sunday and despite forcing a great stop from Dean Henderson, he is unlikely to win it back.

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Benjamin Sesko’s long overdue start did not disappoint, with his winner showing plenty of class. He is now the first name on the teamsheet alongside captain Bruno Fernandes.

Matheus Cunha is the only option on the left as Patrick Dorgu remains absent. Bryan Mbeumo was quiet in the victory over Palace but his form this season should see him retain his spot on the right.

United predicted line-up vs Newcastle: Lammens; Dalot, Yoro, Heaven, Mazraoui; Casemiro, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko

Shakur Stevenson has rejected the proposed terms for one particular fight, potentially distancing himself from several of his most lucrative options.

The 28-year-old is coming off arguably a career-best performance against Teofimo Lopez, claiming his WBO super-lightweight title with a dominant points victory in January.

In doing so, Stevenson not only became a four-division world champion but also cemented himself as a top five pound-for-pound operator, alongside the likes of Oleksandr Usyk and Naoya Inoue.

Because of this, though, many have questioned whether the slick southpaw will ever be beaten, suggesting that a move up to 147lbs could be his only hope at finding a worthy challenge. Stevenson has said recently that he would do it so long as any opponent would sign a 10lbs rehydration clause.

If he decides to do just that, then most would regard WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney as his toughest test, though Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn have also been mentioned as possible options.

Immediately after his victory over Lopez, Stevenson came face to face with Benn, while Garcia called out the American following his WBC title triumph over Mario Barrios earlier this month.

For both potential fights, Stevenson has demanded a 144lb catchweight limit, to which Garcia verbally agreed ahead of his showdown with Barrios.

Since then, though, the 27-year-old’s father and trainer, Henry Garcia, has insisted that Stevenson must come up to 147lbs, but the super-lightweight champion has told ALL THE SMOKE FIGHT that this is strictly out of the question.

“I think [Garcia is] serious. I think he [does] want the fight. I just think that everything gotta work well in the business, everything gotta make sense.

“Before the [Barrios] fight, I heard them saying they’ll fight me at 144[lbs]. Then, after the fight, I’m hearing 147[lbs].

“I’m not going up to 147 no time soon. I think that will be my last weight class that I’m in. I don’t think that, at 28 years old right now, I’m just going [to go] up to 147.”

Benn has not commented on a possible 144lb catchweight but, given that he is facing Regis Prograis at 150lbs on April 11, it would seem that, for him, such a request is hardly worth considering.

If Stevenson is dead set against a full move to welterweight, it will also likely rule out a fight with Devin Haney, who has said he felt ‘a shell of himself’ at weights lower.

Rapper Doechii doubled down on her anti-cat comments on social media, stirring the ire of cat lovers by claiming that the felines are not friendly animals and don’t want to be domesticated. The Grammy-winning rapper’s comments came via her Threads account on March 2, where she shared her thoughts about people owning cats as pets.

She further suggested that it was very rare for cats to be “immediately lovely without years of pain and work put in,” adding:

“People act like it’s a crime to dislike cats when they genuinely aren’t friendly animals. They don’t wanna be domestic just leave em alone! Like it’s not organic I’m sorrryyy be fr it’s rare that cats are immediately lovey without years of pain and work put in. Yall be scratched and beat tf up by your own animals I can’t lmaooo.”

Doechii‘s comments garnered immense backlash, prompting her to stand her ground as she responded to various comments under her initial post. She posted a video of Tiffany Pollard saying, “You hating a** b***h, all fraudulent,” to the audience on Flavor of Love in 2006, captioning it, “Me vs Cat owners.”

According to Complex, the rapper hit back at various criticisms under her post. When one commentator indicated that maybe cats didn’t like her, she responded, “It’s mutual.” Meanwhile, another person claimed the rapper had responded to all comments trying to educate her about cats with “passive aggressive bulls**t,” suggesting she had “pure disdain” for the creatures.

The rapper replied that the user was getting “TOO worked up” over the issue, adding, “The world will be fine if Doechii thinks cats are mean.” Another user accused her of spreading common misconceptions surrounding cats to justify her dislike for the felines, resulting in the Denial Is A River rapper replying with:

“I did! And they aren’t misconceptions these are most definitely true and happen errday you CANNOT trick me. If i tell a cat owner to lift they arm sleeve rn they’ll be tore up.”

Doechii recently won her second Grammy

Doechii picked up her second Grammy after her hit song Anxiety won Best Music Video at the prestigious music awards ceremony on February 1, 2026. This is her second Grammy win. In 2025, the rapper made history by becoming one of three women to win Best Rap Album for her mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal, following Laryn Hill and Cardi B.

“I don’t want to make this long. But this category was introduced in 1989, and two women have won. Lauryn Hill—three women have won. Lauryn Hill, Cardi B, and Doechii. I put my heart and my soul into this mixtape. I bared my life. I went through so much. I dedicated myself to sobriety, and God told me that I would be rewarded and that he would show me just how good it can get. I have to thank God,” Doechii said in her acceptance speech.

She further encouraged Black girls and Black women watching her that anything was possible, telling them not to bow down to stereotypes such as “you can’t be here, that you’re too dark, or that you’re not smart enough, or that you’re too dramatic, or you’re too loud.”

Doechii’s Anxiety was nominated in four other categories at the 2026 Grammys, including Song of the Year, Best Rap Song, and Record of the Year. Song of the Year went to Billie Eilish’s Wildflower, while Record of the Year was won by Kendrick Lamar‘s Luther, featuring SZA. Lamar also won Best Rap Song for TV Off from his 2024 album GNX.