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Bernard Hopkins predicts Teofimo Lopez vs Shakur Stevenson: “He has more weapons”

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Bernard Hopkins has compared Teofimo Lopez vs Shakur Stevenson with a legendary welterweight fight from the 1980s, believing that one man has ‘more weapons to win with.’

The pair will lock horns at Madison Square Garden in New York this evening, with Stevenson looking to become a four-weight world champion.

Entering their super-lightweight clash as a sizable favourite, the 28-year-old comes off a dominant performance against William Zepeda down at 135lbs.

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The points victory in July saw him retain his WBC strap in spectacular fashion, but he must now take on a physically more imposing man at 140lbs.

Indeed, Lopez is expected to boast a noticeable size advantage come fight night, with many believing, too, that he has the edge in athleticism.

And while Stevenson is most certainly the matador, Lopez’s skillset would suggest that he is a little more sophisticated than a bull, at least in this particular contest.

But still, Hall of Famer Hopkins believes that this fight is not too dissimilar to Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran’s rematch, where the former produced a more polished performance to outbox the latter.

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Speaking with FightHype.com, Hopkins insisted that Lopez-Stevenson is more akin to Duran-Leonard than, say, Leonard against Thomas Hearns.

“[It’s] a fight that I believe is going to live up to all its expectations, and all the talent that both guys have.

“But Shakur Stevenson, to me, has more weapons to win with; more weapons to confuse anybody.

“I believe that Shakur will win. It’ll be a close fight but not a controversial fight. I’ll say it’s more like Duran and Leonard [than Leonard-Hearns].”

While many would take being compared with Duran as a terrific complement, Lopez is likely to argue that, stylistically, they are worlds apart.

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Based on his two career-best performances against Vasyl Lomachenko and Josh Taylor, Lopez is far more of an explosive counterpuncher than a front-foot aggressor.

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Mark Washington returns to B.C. Lions coaching staff

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Mark Washington is back with the B.C. Lions.

The Lions named Washington as their linebacker coach Wednesday. 

Washington began his CFL coaching career with B.C. in 2008, spending six seasons as defensive backs coach before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2014. He remained in that job until becoming the Hamilton Tiger-Cats defensive co-ordinator/defensive backs coach in 2019. Washington was let go by the Ticats during the 2024 season.

Washington played defensive back for 11 CFL seasons with the Montreal Alouettes (1997-02) and Lions (2003-07). He registered 483 tackles, 48 special-teams tackles, 17 interceptions, 12 fumble recoveries, and one sack over 156 regular-season games.

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Washington won two Grey Cups as a player (2002, 2006) and another as a coach (2011).

Buck Pierce returns for a second season as the Lions’ head coach, offensive co-ordinator and quarterback coach. 

The remainder of his staff includes: Mike Benevides (defensive co-ordinator); Cory McDiarmid (special-teams co-ordinator); Kevin Bourgoin (receivers coach, pass-game co-ordinator; Paul Charbonneau (offensive-line coach, run-game co-ordinator); Kristian Matte (running backs, assistant offensive-line coach); Ryan Phillips (secondary coach, pass-game co-ordinator); Randy Melvin (defensive line coach); and Derek Oswalt ( assistant receivers coach).

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Bonfrere Questions NFF Leadership After Super Eagles Miss Back-to-Back World Cups

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Former Super Eagles head coach Johannes Bonfrere has raised concerns about the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for two consecutive FIFA World Cup tournaments.

Nigeria missed out on the 2022 World Cup after losing to Ghana on the away goals rule, while their hopes for the 2026 edition ended in a penalty defeat to DR Congo. The absence from both tournaments has dealt a blow to the country’s football reputation on the global stage.

Bonfrere, who guided Nigeria to Olympic gold in 1996, said the situation is unacceptable and called on the football authorities to take urgent action. He stressed that preparations for future tournaments must begin immediately to avoid another disappointment.

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According to the Dutch coach, missing the 2026 World Cup is damaging not only for Nigeria but also for African football. He urged the federation to review what went wrong and ensure proper planning ahead of future competitions, starting with the next Africa Cup of Nations.

He noted that Nigeria has many talented players competing in top European leagues and warned that it would be a major setback if such a generation fails to appear at multiple World Cups.

Bonfrere also reminded stakeholders of Nigeria’s rich football history, describing the country as a leading force in Africa that should always be present on the world stage. He pointed out that Nigerian teams have traditionally brought excitement, colour, and strong fan support to global tournaments.

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Reflecting on past successes, he recalled how Nigeria attracted global attention at previous World Cups and the Olympic Games, with fans eager to watch the team play. He expressed concern that the absence of the Super Eagles is now being noticed worldwide.

The veteran coach concluded by urging the federation to put its house in order, insisting that there is still enough time to rebuild and prepare properly for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups. He added that decisive action now will be key to restoring Nigeria’s place among football’s top nations.

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“YOU’RE NOT A CHAMPION” – WWE official’s message to female star

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WWE is on the Road to WrestleMania, and the company recently hosted another major premium live event. Meanwhile, NXT General Manager Robert Stone sent a message to a female star following the recent edition of NXT when demands were made on X.

Last year, Mariah May signed with the Stamford-based promotion and joined the developmental brand. May, now known as Blake Monroe, was one of the names to leave All Elite Wrestling and join WWE under the new regime. Before the end of the year, she captured the NXT Women’s North American Championship and lost it in December accidentally to Thea Hail.

After losing the title, Blake Monroe feuded with Jaida Parker and returned to the division for the title she wasn’t planned to drop in the first place. On the recent edition of WWE NXT, Monroe and The Vanity Project’s Jackson Drake defeated Tatum Paxley and Shiloh Hill in a mixed tag team match. The 27-year-old WWE star pinned the current NXT Women’s North American Champion for the win.

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Later, she uploaded a picture on X with a custom title and claimed in character that she’s now a two-time NXT Women’s North American Champion and demanded her side plates from the NXT General Manager. Robert Stone sent a message to Monroe and claimed she’s not a champion, stating it wasn’t a title match, which Monroe and Drake won on the show.

“YOU’RE NOT A CHAMPION,” Stone tweeted on X.

Monroe might’ve earned a title match against the champion, but the mixed tag team match was a non-title bout.


Blake Monroe lost at WWE Stand & Deliver 2026

Earlier this year, Izzi Dame won the NXT Women’s North American Championship from Thea Hail while she was in a feud with Tatum Paxley. Last year, Dame and The Culling turned on Paxley and cost her the NXT Women’s Championship against Jacy Jayne. The 29-year-old WWE star vowed to get revenge on her former on-screen family.

After Dame became the new champion, the title was inserted into her ongoing feud with Tatum Paxley. Later, Paxley won the title at NXT Vengeance Day and defended it against the former champion in a Steel Cage match and won. Later, she entered a feud with Blake Monroe, who stole the title in the weeks leading up to their match at Stand & Deliver.

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The biggest event of the developmental brand took place in Missouri, and Tatum Paxley defeated Blake Monroe in a title match. After the match, Monroe took an assist from The Vanity Project and pinned the champion in a mixed tag team match. It’ll be interesting to see what’s next for both stars in the coming weeks.