There has been a late addition to the Moses Itauma vs. Filip Hrgovic card later this month after an unbeaten British heavyweight was added to the bill in an interesting showdown with a world-ranked contender.

Unbeaten sensation Itauma will meet Hrgovic at The O2 Arena in London on August 29, with the vacant IBF heavyweight title up for grabs for the winner.

Victory for Itauma would see him become the second youngest world heavyweight champion in history, but there are a number of other fighters in the banner division that are trying to earn fresh opportunities after Oleksandr Usyk vacated his unified world titles.

One of the men hoping to break into title contention is Guido Vianello, who is currently ranked 12 in the world with the IBF and 14 with the WBC, and holds a stoppage victory over recent Tyson Fury foe Arslanbek Makhmudov.

He will now feature on the Itauma vs. Hrgovic show, after it was announced that he will go up against unbeaten Welshman Moses Jolly, who holds a perfect 12-0 record, with 8 of those victories coming by knockout.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱: Undefeated British heavyweight contender is coming to the O2 🚨🏟️

Guido Vianello is set for a Jolly-𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙩-up in the capital 🔥#MosesHrgovic | Aug 29 | The O2, London | DAZN pic.twitter.com/SsRgSu5cy3

— Queensberry Promotions (@Queensberry) August 17, 2026

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Vianello represents a big step up in competition for Jolly, but the 30-year-old will see it as a big chance to earn the upset against the Italian and announce himself to a much wider audience.

Other fights that already feature on the Itauma vs. Hrgovic event include a British and Commonwealth welterweight title fight between Constantin Ursu and Ben Vaughan, Sam Noakes going up against Denys Berinchyk, and Alous Youmbi taking on Mike Perez.

The position of pound-for-pound number one has become much more open during 2026, but James Toney offered a left-field selection when asked to name his pound-for-pound king, overlooking each of Naoya Inoue, Oleksandr Usyk and Shakur Stevenson.

As 2025 came to a close, fans were debating whether Terence Crawford becoming a three-division undisputed champion outweighed Oleksandr Usyk’s legendary title reigns at both cruiserweight and heavyweight.

However, Crawford’s retirement and then Usyk’s underwhelming display against Rico Verhoeven in May has blown the debate wide open, with many fans believing that Japanese sensation, Inoue, should take top spot.

Although, in an interview with About Boxing, James Toney selected fellow three-division world champion David Benavidez as his pick, before explaining why, for him, Shakur Stevenson is not in the running.

“I don’t know why [people think Shakur is pound-for-pound number one]. What has he done?

“Wrong era. If he did it [became a four-division world champion] in my era, then it would be very impressive but in this era? No it’s not. 

“It’s his fault because if he wants to be top dog, fight the best fighters out there. Don’t make excuses. I did it, Roy [Jones Jr.] did it, Marvin Hagler did it.

“If you want to talk bad, back it up, like I do, every time.”

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Benavidez halted Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez to claim the unified WBA and WBO cruiserweight world titles with a performance of the year candidate back in May. Next, it seems as though Benavidez will seek to add the WBC marble to his collection, with a fight against Interim champion, Michal Cieslak, currently being rumoured.

New Delhi: There was a time when Ashmita Chaliha could only watch while fellow players were training, travelling and discussing their next tournaments.The Assam shuttler was confined to rehabilitation for a career-threatening medial meniscus tear in her right knee that she sustained during the 2024 Korea Open in Aug. She was repeating the same exercises day after day. Her racquet was largely out of reach, her competitive rhythm gone and her ranking slipped rapidly.For someone who had been ranked inside the world’s top 40, the slide was particularly painful. Ashmita eventually found herself outside the top 200, a point she describes as her “rock bottom”.But that low eventually became the starting point of a comeback that reached its latest high at Korea Masters this year, where she had a memorable run to claim the title on Aug 9.Looking back at the difficult period, Ashmita admitted that the biggest battle was not necessarily physical. “Preparing during my injury, like for rehab and stuff, it was more mentally than physically,” she said.“I was always doing the same thing while there was training and stuff. It was upsetting because you see other players preparing for the tournament and discussing the next plan, whereas I was just stuck there,” Ashmita recalled.Yet somewhere amid frustration and uncertainty, she found a different kind of motivation. She had little control over how quickly her body would recover, but she could control how she approached the road back.The first objective was not immediately to win a major title or chase a ranking. It was simply to find out whether she could compete again.Once she was cleared to return, she chose to ease herself back through smaller tournaments. The matches were as much a test of her physical condition as they were of her confidence.“Once I started to play, I was mostly getting back with small tournaments. I just wanted to know how fit I am or if I can compete with the good players,” she said.Those early tournaments helped rebuild something an injury can take away from an athlete just as quickly as fitness and belief.The Korea Open triumph was therefore more than another title on her resume. It represented the distance she had travelled from those lonely rehabilitation sessions, from watching others compete while she waited for her own opportunity.On making the comeback after losing the first game in the Korea Masters final, Ashmita said, “I was just in the game and taking one point at a time. I wasn’t thinking about whether I could win the match. I was just playing and seeing what happens. When I changed sides, it was better for me and my attack was going pretty well, so I stuck to that game.”There was no overnight transformation. Her return was built through patience, smaller competitions and the willingness to start again.And that is perhaps what makes the Korea Masters victory particularly significant. Ashmita did not simply return to the winner’s circle; she returned after experiencing how quickly an athlete can fall when injury takes away the one thing they live for and that is competition.She may not be part of India’s World Championships campaign in New Delhi this time, but her Korea Open triumph has offered a timely reminder of what she is capable of when healthy and confident.Playing at home can be a double-edged sword, the 26-year-old admitted. “It’s a mixed feeling. Firstly, it’s in your home country, so you want to win and get a medal for India,” she said. “That already builds a little bit of pressure, but it’s also very exciting to play in front of your home crowd. There will be additional support, and you wouldn’t want to let people down.”For an athlete who once felt stuck on the sidelines, the journey back has been about learning to move forward one tournament at a time. The rankings may have fallen, the road may have been frustratingly long, but Ashmita has shown that a career can be rebuilt from its lowest point. Sometimes, the comeback begins when all you can do is believe that your time will come.

For the most part, Minnesota has been a healthy football team. Unfortunately, safety Jamal Adams stands out as the exception since he’s now done for the year.

The Vikings filled the open spot with a young player for the secondary.

Consider what the team’s official social media had to say: “The #Vikings have signed CB @brycephillipsbp and placed LB Jamal Adams on IR.” Obviously, nobody wants to see an injury but this is an instance of Minnesota responding to a minus one with a plus one. The focus now shifts toward what Phillips can do inside a purple jersey.

The Vikings Filled Open Roster Spot: CB Bryce Phillips

Think of the Vikings’ secondary as a singular whole rather than being divvied up into two different positions.

DC Brian Flores doesn’t appear overly concerned about position titles and the perceived limitations that accompany whatever is normal for those spots. A corner who can play free safety will get tasked with doing so; a safety who can play along the edge will do so. Move through the various positions and Coach Flores will consistently demonstrate a willingness to task his players with unusual responsibilities.

Rolling with Bryce Phillips to replace Jamal Adams makes sense within that broader consideration of the defensive backs. Losing a versatile safety hurts. Quite possibly, part of the adjustment means emphasizing a nickel package with three corners rather than three safeties. Beefing up the corner spot is part of that approach.

Bryce Phillips went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft despite tossing up a very promising 8.58 RAS. He played his ball for San Diego State. Once upon a time, Kevin O’Connell played quarterback for the same school. Kansas City scooped him on a three-year deal that saw a whopping $267,500 included as guaranteed money, per Over the Cap.

The Chiefs’ website considered the overall haul of UDFA talents by offering a quick blurb for each player. Consider the assessment of Bryce Phillips:

A two-year starter for the Aztecs, Phillips was on the field for at least 700 defensive snaps (and 350 coverage snaps) in each of the last two seasons. He recorded seven pass-breakups and two interceptions in that time.

Primarily a wide cornerback at San Diego State, the 5-foot-11, 202-pound Phillips began his career at Tennessee State, where he played for two seasons from 2022-23.

In all likelihood, the Vikings could only clear out roster room for a half dozen corners. Of those six possible spots, there are four certainties. All of Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, and James Pierre are getting onto the final team. Next up is rookie Chuck Demmings, somebody who has picked up a lot of fans since getting drafted in the 5th Round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He’s looking like the CB4.

Next up is a collection of roster talent that’s trying to prove worthy of one of those final spots. Think Zemaiah Vaughn, Dwight McGlothern, and various others. Bryce Phillips needs to prove more promising than most of these guys to get onto the 53-man roster.

Moreover, there’s the safety talent to consider. Unless there’s a trade, Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson, Jay Ward, and Jakobe Thomas are getting onto the team. Tavierre Thomas appears quite likely to, as well, since he demanded a pretty good contract. What about Kahlef Hailassie and Jacob Thomas? It’s a less obvious connection, but the safety talent makes the roster battle tougher for Phillips.

Bryce Phillips is listed by the Minnesota Vikings as being 6’0″ and 195 pounds. He’ll need to prove helpful on specials while demonstrating promise on defense. Do that and he’s got a chance to make the final team.

The Vikings will host the Ravens for joint practices in a couple days.

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

Indian players in action during Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026© X/Hockey India

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has ordered the technical crew of the Super Falcons to step down with immediate effect following the team’s disappointing campaign at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

The NFF announced the decision in a brief statement on its official X account.

“Notice! The Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation has asked members of the technical crew of the Super Falcons to step down with immediate effect.”

The decision comes days after Nigeria’s title defence in Morocco ended at the quarter-final stage following a defeat to Cameroon.

The Super Falcons went into the tournament as defending champions and one of Africa’s strongest women’s teams. However, they were unable to reach the semi-finals after losing to Cameroon.

Nigeria had won the previous WAFCON title in dramatic fashion, coming from two goals down to beat hosts Morocco 3-2 in the final.

The latest defeat also affected Nigeria’s route to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Their quarter-final exit meant they missed out on automatic qualification through a top-four finish and had to go through the play-off route.

The Super Falcons later suffered another setback against South Africa, ending their hopes of securing an automatic World Cup place and raising fresh questions about the team’s technical direction.

NFF Decision Comes Amid Football Uncertainty

The NFF’s decision comes at a difficult time for Nigerian football administration, with the National Sports Commission also moving against the federation’s planned electoral congress and considering a normalisation committee.

The change in the Super Falcons’ technical crew now leaves the NFF with the task of finding a new coaching set-up for one of Nigeria’s most successful national teams.

The Super Falcons remain Africa’s record holders with 10 recognised WAFCON titles and have featured at every FIFA Women’s World Cup since the competition began in 1991.

Cameroon, meanwhile, went on to win their first WAFCON title after beating Malawi 3-0 in the final.

The NFF has not yet announced who will replace the departing technical crew or when a new coach will be appointed.

The next appointment will face major pressure as Nigeria looks to rebuild the Super Falcons and restore their position at the top of African women’s football.