Shakur Stevenson has been linked to a showdown with Gervonta Davis throughout his career but now the Newark southpaw has predicted how his rival would fare against one of the greats of the sport in Oscar De La Hoya.

Stevenson and Davis each held world titles in the lightweight division as recently as February, but Stevenson was then stripped of his WBC crown due to unpaid sanctioning fees and ‘Tank’ was recently demoted to the WBA’s ‘champion-in-recess’ because of prolonged inactivity.

Any hope of seeing the fight is now beginning to dwindle, with Stevenson having signed with Zuffa Boxing, whilst Davis is expected to remain sidelined until early 2027, meaning if the pair are to ever fight, it is unlikely to be anytime soon.

Despite that, Stevenson still clearly holds his rival in high regard, as when discussing hypothetical encounters in an interview with Daily Mail Sport, he picked the Baltimore-born knockout artist to trump a prime De La Hoya, who is one of just two fighters in boxing history to have ruled in six divisions.

De La Hoya fought as a lightweight for just over a year-and-a-half and is better known for his reign as welterweight champion, where he overcame the likes of Pernell Whittaker, Héctor Camacho and Julio César Chávez.

Although, whilst Stevenson also picked Davis to overcome stars such as Vasyl Lomachenko and ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley, he felt as though a meeting with pound-for-pound sensation Terence Crawford would prove to be a step too far for the undefeated three-division conqueror.

Juan Gomez de Liaño (with ball) rises for a shot. —PBA IMAGES

Converge got off to a flying start in the PBA Governors’ Cup on Sunday when it pummeled an import-less Titan Ultra squad by 31 in faraway Rodriguez, Rizal.

Juan Gomez de Liaño and the rest of the FiberXers are hoping that the 105-74 rout at the Ynares Center Montalban would set the tone for a potential turnaround after a dismal run in the Commissioner’s Cup.

“It’s definitely added motivation for us to try to perform and win games,” Gomez de Liaño said.

The FiberXers missed out on a playoff spot in the previous conference despite stockpiling new talent with the arrival of Mikey Williams and the acquisition of Calvin Abueva to mix with Gomez de Liaño, Justin Arana, Justine Baltazar and Alec Stockton.

Enough time

But Converge could only post a 5-7 record as it dealt with an adjustment period with a new roster while also enduring the inconsistencies of 7-foot import Kylor Kelley, who was replaced by Donovan Smith, albeit too late.

With that experience and enough time to build more chemistry this time, the FiberXers will attempt to get back to their winning ways in the Governors’ Cup.

“I truly believe our team can make it far in the playoffs, especially with the guys that we have,” the Rookie of the Year frontrunner and Most Valuable Player candidate said. “I’m very optimistic still. And I know that we can make it happen with the pieces that we have.”

Beermen’s opener

Gomez de Liaño, coming off an impressive stint with Gilas Pilipinas in the third window of the Fiba World Cup Qualifiers, scored just two points but had nine rebounds and nine assists in the blowout win.

Import Jalen Hudson, back in the PBA after his debut in 2023 with TNT was cut when he was replaced by Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, posted 20 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals while Williams hit seven of his 13 points in the second quarter.

Meanwhile, San Miguel Beer starts its third conference campaign on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Ynares Center in Antipolo, favored to run roughshod over a guest team Macau squad that lost to NLEx by 39 points the last time.

The Beermen parade import George King, who joins the powerhouse squad after playing for Blackwater last season, while Jerrick Ahanmisi debuts in the hope of being a key contributor.

Of course, San Miguel is expected to be led by MVP favorite June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Jericho Cruz, Marcio Lassiter, Chris Ross and Rodney Brondial.

Coach Jimmy Alapag and NLEx go for a 3-0 start in the 5:15 p.m. opener against Titan, which set a record for futility when it missed its first 17 tries from beyond the arc in the loss to Converge.

Titan’s James Milton missed that outing while waiting clearance to play.

The Road Warriors opened their Group A campaign in contrasting fashion; they blew out the visiting Giant Pandas first before nearly wasting a 23-point lead in a 101-100 thriller against Terrafirma last Sunday. INQ

Didier Deschamps insisted that Spain are the favourites in the World Cup 2026 semi-final against his France team as he predicted a spectacular game in Dallas.

France top the world rankings and have often been described as the best team in the tournament so far but Spain won Euro 2024, beating France in the semi-finals, and again defeated Deschamps’ side in last year’s Nations League.

And Deschamps, who has spent the World Cup claiming that Spain are the likeliest winners, maintained his position, even though France have scored five more goals and won all of their games.

He explained: “If you see what Spain have done in the first match against Cape Verde [a 0-0 draw], forget about that, but in the rest Spain confirmed they are the favourite. I don’t want to add extra pressure to Luis [de la Fuente, the manager] and their team, he knows very well people are expecting greatly of their team.

“They can attack and defend very well, they only conceded one goal. Luis and myself, we know how to defend well but with the quality of the two teams offensively we could think it is going to be a spectacular game.”

Kylian Mbappe had come off in the quarter-final win over Morocco and put ice on his ankle but said after the match that he was fine.

And Deschamps had no concerns about his captain, who has scored eight goals in this World Cup. “He trained today,” he said.

But the France manager has a selection decision in midfield where Aurelien Tchouameni is fit again after a groin problem. The Real Madrid player was named as a substitute against Morocco but Deschamps decided it would be too great a gamble to play him then.

“He is now available,” said Deschamps. “Even though he was on the bench for the last game, the risk was high. He is better today, I am not going to say he has been 100 percent cured. The last game he played was two weeks ago but it does not mean anything.”

Gautam Gambhir and Shreyas Iyer will have to re-think India’s T20I strategy.© X/Twitter

France are preparing for a highly anticipated semi-final against Span following their qualification thanks to a win against Morocco. The Spanish team is expected to be France’s toughest challenge yet, as La Roja have only let in one goal so far. FRANCE 24’s James Vasina tells us more.

Vikings RT1 Brian O’Neill has proven to be a fantastic player on the field. He might be even better off of it.

Go ahead and listen to Kevin O’Connell discuss the blocker along the right side. Or, perhaps, check out how Keith Carter discusses the large lad. In a chat with the VEN’s Tatum Everett, Coach Carter ventured into a variety of topics across the roughly 10-minute conversation. Getting the chance to discuss Mr. O’Neill led to no shortage of praise.

RT1 Brian O’Neill is the Coach Translator

A major part of O’Neill’s value rests in his capacity to untangle what the coach is teaching.

Carter insists that O’Neill is “another coach in the room,” a compliment that points toward the OT’s capacity to transcend the normal responsibilities of a lineman. He can do his job on the field while doing plenty of work off the field, as well, to coach up his teammates. “He has a way to take stuff that we say,” Carter explained, “and put it into a player’s words that they’re going to understand.”

Another key part of the mix is Brian O’Neill’s ability to tell the coaches to slowdown when teaching new things. Anyone who has coached youth football understands what it’s like to explain an idea in seemingly clear terms only to later realize that the players didn’t understand. Apparently, that issue can extend all the way to being a pro.

Carter offered more thoughts: “He makes sure we get those coaching points in. And then there’s a level of trust with him. You’re not worried about teaching B.O. the details of the game plan.” No doubt, that’s some great praise from the OL coach.

O’Neill got chosen at No. 62 in the 2018 NFL Draft. The early word was that he was super athletic but needed time to marinate before getting tossed onto the grill. But while those plans appeared wise, the Vikings quickly had to throw the rookie into the fire due to injury. At no point did he appear to be in over his head.

Indeed, Brian O’Neill has been a fantastic football player since jumping into the starting lineup. Last year, O’Neill earned an 81.6 PFF grade, good for 12th overall among the 84 offensive tackles under consideration. He allowed a pair of sacks alongside 1 QB hit and 21 pressures.

Recent seasons have involved that sort of assessment: being the 16th best in 2024, 24th best in 2023, 8th best in 2022, and so on.

But then consider that the PFF assessment — or something such as ESPN’s pass-block and run-block win rates — only corrals the on-field component. What Keith Carter is speaking to is the value that gets added with O’Neill being a coach who wears shoulder pads.

Lately, a lot of the focus has been on the unsigned Brian O’Neill extension. Over the Cap clarifies that offensive tackle carries a $23,115,657 cap charge. Extending him could involve clearing $14.16 million.

Sounds good, right?

Clearly, there’s some issue with arriving at a sort of unhappy medium. The best deals are the ones where both sides walk away feeling a touch uncomfortable but (mostly) satisfied. Think, for instance, a deal that possibly gives the team a way out after a couple seasons while the player squeezes the franchise for a headline-grabbing number.

New GM Nolan Teasley has been in the Twin Cities for a short time. Still, he shouldn’t struggle to understand how important O’Neill is to the Vikings. The possibility exists that he’ll look to Ryan Van Demark and/or Caleb Tiernan as the long-term solution, but that would be a bold move that appears to contradict what the coaching staff has been saying for a long time.

Brian O’Neill, 30, stands at 6’7″ and is listed as being 310 pounds. The team captain has always been a rugged, athletic guy. Further proving his value by adopting the responsibilities of a pseudo coach enhances his shot at finishing his career as a Viking via extension.

The Minnesota Vikings welcome veterans to training camp on Tuesday, July 28th.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

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The Minnesota Vikings signed a new quarterback, fired their general manager, found a replacement, traded their best defensive player, and onboarded a new draft class in the last several months, and all that work is good enough for a ‘D+’ offseason, according to Yahoo Sports‘ Frank Schwab,

Most Vikings fans would grade the offseason much higher, but as an outsider, Schwab is not very impressed.

Vikings Cap Reset Affected Every Major Decision

Schwab Delivers ‘D+’ Offseason Grade for Vikings

Sizing up each team heading into the 2026 regular season, Schwab wrote about the Vikings last week, “The Vikings lost three good linemen from their defensive front, which is evident from the salaries they commanded with other teams. A lot is now expected from edge rusher Dallas Turner, a 2024 first-round pick who did take strides with eight sacks last season.”

“Minnesota also lost receiver Jalen Nailor, who the Raiders thought was worth more than $35 million over three years. Minnesota didn’t do much in free agency, feeling the cap crunch. They did sign former 49ers receiver Jauan Jennings for $8 million over one year, and also cornerback James Pierre for $8.5 million over two years.”

In July, the Vikings have $13 million remaining in cap space.

“No other outside free agent got more than $1.5 million, though Kyler Murray’s minimum $1.3 million deal is included in that. The draft class, led by defensive lineman Caleb Banks and linebacker Jake Golday in the first and second rounds, was panned,” Schwab continued.

“Minnesota’s draft got the fourth-worst consensus grade, and two of the three teams behind them didn’t have a first-round pick. Jennings was a good addition and Murray was a value, but the roster overall took some hits. Grade: D+.”

Murray Alone (for $1.3M) Should Be Good Enough for At Least a ‘B’

In March, after much anticipation, the Arizona Cardinals finally dumped Murray, refusing to explore a trade and instead letting him walk to the open market and willing to pay him to play for another NFL squad. The Vikings pounced, handing him a contract worth $1.3 million.

All signs point to Murray starting for the Vikings after he partakes in a quarterback competition with J.J. McCarthy in a couple of weeks. Finding and empowering a starting quarterback for $1.3 million — especially one as productive as Murray — is just phenomenal value.

Even if Murray doesn’t pan out for the long term, giving him an audition for $1.3 million is enough to drag an offseason grade from a ‘D+’ to the ‘B’ range. Not long ago, Murray was considered a Top 15 quarterback in the business. Now, the Vikings employ him for the NFL’s version of free.

Jonathan Greenard Trade Less Than Ideal

The offseason wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, however. Outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard wanted a new contract, and Minnesota apparently could not afford his asking price, which turned out to be $100 million over the next four seasons. Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski traded Greenard and a 7th-Round draft pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for two 3rd-Rounders. One of those picks has already fetched safety Jakobe Thomas, and the other is on the way in April 2027.

Still, it’s risky business to trade productive pass rushers, and there’s a chance that Minnesota regrets the Greenard swap. He was the team’s best defensive player, and while he didn’t register many sacks in 2025, his quarterback pressure numbers remained top-notch.

Most serious and playoff-contending football teams stack EDGE rushers — like the Eagles. The Vikings hope to replace Greenard with Dallas Turner.

If Schwab’s offseason grade proves right, offloading Greenard might be the smoking gun.

Doing More with Less

Minnesota’s plan became crystal clear once free agency began.

The Vikings had a choice to pursue high-profile players. However, that strategy would have necessitated pushing substantial cap hits into future seasons, inevitably leading to a difficult reckoning — a path exemplified by teams like Philadelphia for years and New Orleans until their recent financial restructuring.

Instead, Minnesota’s front office opted for a different approach, prioritizing value. Murray’s acquisition perfectly illustrates this strategy: securing a potential starting quarterback on a modest deal allowed the Vikings to address a critical position without overextending their budget.

The decision also enabled them to avoid expensive bidding wars. Tyler Linderbaum was never a serious target, nor did Minnesota engage in the frenzy for Trey Hendrickson. This offseason was fundamentally about creating financial flexibility.

The Vikings effectively designated 2026 as a salary cap reset year while assembling a competitive team. Therefore, by next spring, their financial outlook should be vastly improved, granting the front office considerable freedom to address remaining roster needs.

If you want the Vikings to have a busy offseason in 2027 and 2028, low spending was required in 2026. That alone might fetch a grade higher than a ‘D+.’

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker