Once the dust settles – whenever it is done drifting, and wherever it ultimately lies – this week may be regarded as one of the most fascinating in boxing history.
Matchroom chief Hearn has said he expects the signing of Benn, by White’s new entity Zuffa Boxing, to be a mere, singular chess move in what may be a decade-long promotional feud. Yet that feud may not be a simple 1 vs 1, after Wednesday’s report that Hearn’s fellow promoter Frank Warren is claiming $1bn in lost income from Zuffa Boxing’s owners.
Saudi official Turki Alalshikh brought Hearn and Warren together over the last couple of years, despite the Britons’ longstanding grudge, as the trio worked on numerous high-profile events; now Hearn and Warren may need to band together to thwart what Alalshikh is building, given he is working with White at Zuffa Boxing.
This has been a complex saga already, and within it, there is a feeling that boxing civil war has broken out. Here’s what has happened so far, why, and what could come next…
Advertisement
A betrayal by Conor Benn?
On Friday night, Zuffa Boxing’s X account shared a post announcing Benn’s signing. It was scarcely believable. The account carries a blue tick – not gold – so there was some reason to question the post’s legitimacy. Even after that, the images of Benn and White together just looked… wrong, somehow, as if they could be AI. Of course this wasn’t the case, but it’s a testament to the surreality of the moment. And so The Independent approached Benn and his manager for comment, as well as sending other relevant parties the “is this real??” text. At least one figure had been caught off guard.
The main reason the news was so shocking was Benn’s relationship with Hearn; Matchroom had stuck by Benn during a three-year saga in which he couldn’t box on home soil after failing two drug tests. Hearn claimed he had even lent Benn “hundreds of thousands of pounds” during that time, in which the welterweight said he was as mentally low as someone could be.
Advertisement
Conor Benn (right) with his now-former promoter Eddie Hearn (Getty Images)
Furthermore, Hearn claimed Benn wouldn’t even afford him a phone call to discuss the Zuffa move. “I made a mistake, because I misjudged the character,” Hearn told iFL TV late on Friday, the devastation and regret clear in his voice. “I’m not gonna hang him out to dry […] but when I received the email from his lawyer, I texted him and said: ‘For everything I’ve done for you, I think I deserve a call.’ And he said ‘no’, and I was like: ‘Man… f***… I can’t believe it.’”
Another interesting element is Benn’s long-standing desire to fight for the WBC title, considering Zuffa Boxing intends to move away from the traditional belt system. Even with that in mind, Benn was calling for a shot at new WBC champion Ryan Garcia within two days of joining Zuffa.
Thursday brought a surprise then, in the news that Benn will fight Regis Prograis in April, live on Netflix (on Tyson Fury’s undercard), and at a 150lb catchweight. The Netflix factor means Benn’s sole contracted fight with Zuffa may not even air on the promotion’s main broadcast platform, Paramount+.
Advertisement
Benn at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, before Ryan Garcia’s title win (Getty Images for Thomas J. Henry)
Benn will also fight Prograis in London, despite Zuffa’s essence as an American brand and Benn’s apparent wish to box in the US. And for as much as Benn is reported to be earning regardless, there would have been a tax benefit to competing Stateside. But “it’s worth taking the tax hit to be on the Fury undercard”, argued Oriana Morrison, a sports accountant and tax strategist, while speaking to The Independent. “People are far more likely to watch something with Fury in it than without him. Benn will get that payout in the long run with Zuffa, Netflix, and Fury’s audience’s eyes on him.”
The next major number to be reported this week was $1bn, as The Telegraphsaid Warren is claiming that amount in lost income from Zuffa Boxing’s owners: TKO and Sela.
Advertisement
Here, it is worth explaining that TKO is a combat-sports brand – the parent company of WWE and the UFC, the latter of whom’s president is Dana White – and Sela is a Saudi events company. The faces of Zuffa Boxing are White and Alalshikh.
Boxing promoter Frank Warren (left) with Saudi official Turki Alalshikh (Getty Images)
Per The Telegraph, Warren’s company Queensberry is claiming that TKO and Sela breached contracts they had signed with him, going behind his back to form a partnership of their own. Queensberry is reportedly seeking up to $1bn (£740m) in compensation, for income that the promotion claims it would have earned if the contracts had been honoured. Legal letters have reportedly been sent, and it is thought the case could end up with a formal claim being made in the High Court if there is no resolution.
Queensberry is said to have claimed that, in September 2023, it signed an exclusivity agreement with Sela, giving the Saudi firm access to Queensberry’s insight into boxing. Queensberry is also believed to be claiming it signed a separate contract with TKO, allowing the brand access to Queensberry’s online data, including details of the Sela contract. The Telegraph reported that Warren did not sign any contracts with Alalshikh personally.
Advertisement
The Independent approached Queensberry, TKO and Sela for comment, and a spokesperson for Sela said: “We are disappointed by the unfounded claims brought by Queensberry and Frank Warren. We reject them in their entirety and are confident that the facts will fully vindicate our position.” Meanwhile, Warren told the BBC: “It’s just a difference of opinion over the contracts that we signed, so that will just take its course. I can’t make any comment on it. It is what it is.”
A bizarre response on X
Matters then became even more complicated. Later on Wednesday, the magazine The Ring – owned by Alalshikh – posted a controversial tweet, alleging the circulation of “rumours” about Queensberry’s business affairs. The Independent has approached Queensberry for comment on the post.
What next?
Advertisement
Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury have been linked for the best part of a decade (Getty)
Last weekend, in the wake of the Benn news, boxing insider Dan Rafael tweeted: “If you think s*** happened today just wait. Ain’t seen nothing yet.” It’s unclear whether he was referring to the then-impending report of Warren’s alleged lawsuit, or whether something else is coming. But what could be bigger right now?
Should Zuffa sign Fury, that too would be a seismic acquisition from a talent perspective, though the British star is older like Usyk. Still, the end of a partnership with Warren would feel significant.
Advertisement
Perhaps the only signing that would blow up boxing’s corner of the internet would be Anthony Joshua, another of Hearn’s key names – his most-important of all, actually. Although “AJ” and Benn have both spent their entire professional careers with Hearn, the promoter was quick to contrast the British boxers, saying: “You can’t mention those in the same breath, for many reasons. Joshua is a different breed of class and loyalty.”
Hypothetically, if Zuffa were to sign Fury and Joshua and make that long-awaited super-fight – without Warren and Hearn involved – that would constitute genuinely shocking news. Or maybe the next big development won’t pertain to the signing of a boxer, but to something more relevant to the sport’s wider landscape. At this point, it feels fair to say that nothing is impossible. A new era has begun: an era of boxing civil war.
The men’s team was criticised after several players appeared to laugh when Trump made his comment, but Knight said: “I think there’s a genuine level of support there and respect. That’s being overshadowed by a quick lapse.
“The guys were in a tough spot, so I think it’s a shame this storyline and narrative has kind of blown up and [is] overshadowing that connection and genuine interest in one another and cheering each other on.”
Knight, 36, ended her Olympic career with 15 goals, the most by any US male or female player.
She said she hopes the Trump controversy proves to be a “really good learning point, to really focus on how we talk about women, not only in sport but in industry”.
Advertisement
She said: “Women aren’t less than, and their achievements shouldn’t be overshadowed by anything else other than how great they are.”
Victor Osimhen has explained why he chose not to celebrate after scoring a vital goal for Galatasaray in their dramatic Champions League clash against Juventus on Wednesday night.
Juventus claimed a 3-2 win after extra time at the Allianz Stadium, but Galatasaray progressed to the Round of 16 with a 7-5 aggregate victory.
The Turkish side travelled to Italy with a strong 5-2 advantage from the first leg in Istanbul. However, Juventus responded impressively in Turin.
Advertisement
Despite being reduced to ten men, the Italian club stormed into a 3-0 lead on the night, forcing the match into extra time and threatening a remarkable comeback.
Only minutes into extra time, Osimhen scored the decisive goal to restore Galatasaray’s aggregate lead and seal qualification. Instead of celebrating wildly, the Nigerian forward calmly exchanged handshakes with teammates.
After the match, Osimhen explained that his reaction was out of respect for Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti, whom he worked with at SSC Napoli.
Advertisement
“No, I don’t need to, I don’t need to,” Osimhen said. “I think it’s important to respect a man I love and who has played an important role in my career — I’m obviously talking about Spalletti. I didn’t feel the need to celebrate.”
While happy that Galatasaray reached the knockout stage for the first time in 12 years, Osimhen admitted he was not pleased with his team’s performance.
“We played very poorly, even when they were a man down, so there was no reason to celebrate,” he added.
“Even when we had the opportunity to score the decisive goal, the one to make it 3-1, I didn’t feel the need to celebrate. I’m not that kind of player, someone who tries to hide his emotions, or who does things like that. I saw all these people applauding the Juventus players for their performance, and I can say I’m happy…”
Advertisement
Galatasaray will now wait for the draw to find out whether they will face Liverpool FC or Tottenham Hotspur FC in the Round of 16.
With India gearing up for a must-win ICC Men’s T20 World Cup clash against Zimbabwe in Chennai, former cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra has urged the team to return to their fearless, attacking approach if they are to keep their semi-final hopes alive.The MA Chidambaram Stadium is set for a high-pressure evening, with India not only needing victory but also a sizeable margin to boost their net run-rate.
India Playing XI drama: How three players are fighting for two spots | Sanju Samson IN?
Speaking on JioHotstar, Chopra analysed India’s qualification scenario and pointed out the challenges ahead.On India’s road to the semi-finals, he said, “The tricky problem for India is they need to win both of their remaining Super Eight matches, and they will also be hoping that South Africa win their games against West Indies and Zimbabwe. But if that does not happen, then the net run-rate comes into play.”Chopra emphasised that if qualification comes down to net run-rate, India must rediscover their attacking mindset. He believes captain Suryakumar Yadav has a key role to play in that shift.“That is when India will need to bring out their explosive brand of cricket. Suryakumar Yadav is the man for that role. He needs to bat at three and bat with freedom. Against South Africa, I felt he was too slow. By the time he got out, the mountain was too high for others to climb,” he said.Chopra also raised concerns about India’s current batting pattern, suggesting it lacks balance and clarity.“India have batters at the top who go hammer and tongs from ball one and lose their wicket. That puts the team in tricky situations. Then the batters who come in after are too cautious and conservative. They start eating deliveries regardless of the pitch, conditions or the bowler. They play the situation completely and fall behind in the game.”He further pointed out that this measured approach is a departure from the fearless cricket India have showcased in recent years.“This is not the brand of cricket India have played in the last two years. They took pride in saying we hammer teams and score 250, 260 or 270. But Suryakumar Yadav and his men have perhaps forgotten that formula. The template now is to score just 180-190. That is good enough on some days, but good teams chase those totals easily. India need to bring back their aggressive brand of cricket. If they don’t, their hopes of making the semi-finals could be in trouble,” he concluded.With their campaign hanging in the balance, India must deliver a commanding performance against Zimbabwe to stay in contention for a semi-final spot.Also See: IND vs ZIM Live Score
Both Illinois and Indiana advanced their respective bills in an effort to lure the Chicago Bears out of the city.
The House Public Finance Committee advanced the bill Thursday that would freeze property taxes for mega projects like a Bears stadium in Arlington Heights.
Advertisement
But members of the Illinois House of Representatives adjourned without voting on the bill.
They will not return to Springfield until March 18.
The state has thus far failed to commit to infrastructure improvements and property tax certainty.
An amendment from Chicago-area state Rep. Kam Buckner outlines tax breaks on infrastructure the state would provide to entice the Bears to build in Arlington Heights, where the McCaskey family already owns the old Arlington Racetrack.
Gov. JB Pritzker spoke about the battle over the Bears on MS NOW.
Advertisement
“I am not going to be shaken down, and I have set out some very clear guidelines. And my guidelines are we are not going to fleece the taxpayers of the state of Illinois. We are not going to let the Bears do that,” Pritzker said.
Advertisement
The full House needs to approve the bill before Pritzker would sign it.
Arlington Heights residents and some Bears fans showed up in Springfield Thursday.
Advertisement
“The Bears belong in Illinois, period. George Stanley Halas would be turning over in his grave if he knew they would even get out of the city of Chicago let alone the state of Illinois,” Bears fan Marty Tadla said.
The revised mega-project bill was supposed to be heard last week, but got canceled at the last minute.
In Indiana, the state Senate passed a bill for a new Chicago Bears stadium, 45-4.
Gov. Mike Braun said on X Thursday afternoon he signed the bill.
Advertisement
Advertisement
“We made it clear from the beginning that Indiana is open for business. I’m thrilled to sign Senate Bill 27 to create the framework to build a new world-class stadium in Northwest Indiana,” he said. “Now let’s get this across the goal line.”
The city of Chicago is still technically in the running to keep the Bears.
SARASOTA, Fla. — Baltimore Orioles top prospect Samuel Basallo left a game Thursday because of right side abdominal discomfort after the catcher made a sweeping tag for an out at the plate.
Basallo, whose $67 million, eight-year contract starts this season, took a relay throw and lunged to tag out Detroit’s Matt Vierling, who slid headfirst toward the plate while trying to score from first base on Hao-Yu Lee’s double to right-centre.
There was no collision, but as Basallo reached and applied the tag his gloved left arm got tangled with Vierling’s left arm while the runner tried to reach for the plate hile sliding to the outside.
Vierling was on his stomach when his body got twisted away from the plate. Basallo appeared to land hard on his stomach, immediately grimacing in pain and reaching for his stomach while rolling over onto his back. That was the second out of the third inning, and Basallo exited after an athletic trainer checked on him for several minutes.
Advertisement
The 21-year-old Basallo made his big league debut last Aug. 17, less than a week before reaching the big deal with the Orioles. That contract includes a team option for 2034.
Basallo hit .165 with four homers and 15 RBIs in his 31 games last season, and is expected get a lot of games at catcher even though the Orioles also have Adley Rutschman. Basallo could also be the designated hitter and maybe play first base.
Morocco step up preparations with Burkina Faso friendlies
As preparations continue for upcoming international competitions, the Morocco women’s national football team will face the Burkina Faso women’s national football team in two friendly matches in Rabat.
The fixtures are scheduled for February 27 and March 3 and will both be played at the Prince Heir Moulay El Hassan Stadium, with kick-off set for 10:00 p.m.
Led by head coach Jorge Vilda, the matches form part of Morocco’s ongoing preparation program as the team builds rhythm ahead of future international assignments.
Advertisement
The friendlies offer an opportunity to assess squad depth, refine tactical structure and maintain competitive sharpness as the Lionesses of the Atlas continue their development.
Hubballi: Jammu and Kashmir’s Auqib Nabi (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)
Hubballi: A surface that had appeared lifeless for most of the first two days sprang to life on Thursday, not because of any change in conditions, but due to the quality of bowling. Unlike Karnataka’s attack, which needed 173.1 overs to dismiss Jammu and Kashmir for an imposing 584 in the first innings, the visitors required just 48.2 overs and 235 minutes to remove half of the home side’s batting line-up. At stumps on Day 3 of the Ranji Trophy final at the KSCA Rajnagar Stadium here, Karnataka were 220/5 in 69 overs, thanks largely to an unbeaten 130 from opener Mayank Agarwal. The eight-time champions, trailing by 364 runs, now require a monumental batting effort from the remaining line-up to stay in contention. The J&K bowlers, on their part, made the red cherry swing, bowled on the stumps and off the seam. They ticked boxes which the more experienced Karnataka line-up failed even to see. Leading the charge was strike bowler Auqib Nabi (3/32), who combined accuracy with intensity. When the battle lines for the title tilt were drawn, much of the discussion had centred on Nabi’s duel with a Karnataka top order that has four Test batters in the mix, and the seamer lived up to expectations. In a decisive passage of play spanning four overs on either side of lunch, Nabi removed KL Rahul, Karun Nair and the season’s highest run-getter R Smaran, each dismissal coming off deliveries that extracted life from an otherwise docile surface. Opening the bowling, Nabi immediately put Rahul under pressure with probing full-length deliveries, occasionally mixing in the short ball. Rahul needed 15 deliveries to get off the mark before briefly finding rhythm with two boundaries off Sunil Kumar. Nabi eventually had the last word, producing a delivery that moved late to take a faint edge through to wicketkeeper Kanhaiya Wadhawan. Sunil struck soon after, dismissing Karnataka skipper Devdutt Padikkal. Rooted to the crease, Padikkal poked tentatively outside off stump, and Abdul Samad completed the catch in the slips. Karun Nair followed almost immediately, falling to a peach of a delivery. Nabi angled one in sharply and Karun misjudged the line, the ball crashing into his off stump. Nabi then completed a devastating spell by removing Smaran, whose uncertain push at a back-of-a-length delivery resulted in an outside edge that Wadhawan safely pouched. Reduced to 57/4, Karnataka were firmly on the back foot, and the packed stadium went silent, barring the celebrations and chirping from the J&K side. Amid the collapse, Mayank stood tall. The opener remained composed despite the carnage around him and focused on the long task ahead. More assured than his teammates, he countered the swing by getting well forward and worked the ball into gaps to ease the pressure on the scoreboard. Shreyas Gopal (27) provided support in a steady partnership before being trapped leg before wicket by Yudhvir Singh. Wicketkeeper Kruthik Krishna (27 batting) then joined Mayank, and the pair ensured Karnataka reached stumps without further damage. With a massive first-innings deficit still looming, the home team’s hopes hinge on whether Mayank and the lower order can pull off a heist. Earlier, J&K, who started the day at 527/6, added 57 runs to their tally before being dismissed for 584. Pacer Prasidh Krishna finished with a five-wicket haul (5/98).
PSG once again showed moments of weakness but ultimately prevailed as the European champions advanced to the Champions League round of 16 after a 2-2 draw at home against 10-man Monaco (5-4 on aggregate). They will face either Barcelona or Chelsea in the round of 16, with the draw scheduled for Friday.
UD Almería head coach Rubi said Cristiano Ronaldo would be welcome with open arms if he decides to play for the club irrespective of who the coach is. Rubi’s remarks came after Ronaldo acquired a 25% stake in the ownership of the Segunda Division club.
On Thursday, February 26, UD Almeria confirmed in an official statement that Cristiano Ronaldo became a minority shareholder of the club through his CR7 Sports Investment company. The Al-Nassr forward has enjoyed quite a journeyman move throughout his professional career. Ronaldo has in the past expressed his desire to own a football club once he retires.
Thanks for the submission!
Advertisement
Despite turning 41 earlier this month, Rubi believes it would be ‘extraordinary and wonderful’ if Ronaldo decides to play for UD Almeria before he hangs up his boots. Asked if Ronaldo could one day play for the club, Rubi said:
Advertisement
“That’s a question for him, but it would be extraordinary and wonderful. This is his club, and if he wants to continue playing, regardless of who the coach would be, he’d welcome him with open arms. I have no doubt about that.”
Almeria are on course to gain promotion to the Spanish top flight, as they currently sit third in the Spanish Segunda Division table, two points behind leaders Racing Santander after 27 games.
Cristiano Ronaldo signed a two-year contract extension with his current club, Al-Nassr, in 2025. The deal will see him stay with the Saudi Pro League club beyond his 42nd birthday. It remains to be seen if the former Manchester United and Real Madrid man will make a surprise switch to UD Almeria.
UEFA have brutally exposed Manchester United’s transfer mistakes through a staggering net-spend figure in comparison to Chelsea and Arsenal
Manchester United are the highest net-spenders for transfers in Europe over the last five years, a UEFA report, via The Telegraph has revealed. Their European Club Finance and Investment Landscape assessment has also highlighted the financial dominance of the Premier League in comparison to other major divisions.
That was particularly evidenced by the increase in television revenue to €1.5bn (£1.3bn) for English clubs. That staggering figure very nearly amounted to the €1.6bn (£1.4bn) that 53 other European top-division leagues received combined.
Advertisement
Despite taking a share of that major financial boost, United’s specific failures have also been exposed by UEFA with £692million emerging as their net-spend on transfers between 2021-2025. Major losses on the likes of Antony and Paul Pogba have undoubtedly impacted that even with other Premier League club’s spending more.
The likes of Chelsea and Arsenal have parted ways with big transfer fees over the five-year period accounted for but see £656m and £587m, respectively, as their net-spends. England’s financial dominance has also been shown on the pitch with six teams in the last-16 of this season’s Champions League.
For UEFA to publicise their finds, a review into financial accounts from 2021 to 2025 was undertaken. That resulted in the impact of all transfer activity across the five years being covered, including profits on sale, amortisation from previous transfers and impairments.
Advertisement
In the report, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said: “After a decade that included one of the toughest periods our sport and our society have faced, European football has come through in a strong position. Club revenues have grown steadily across the board, and top-division income is expected to pass €30bn in the 2025 financial year.”
In comparison to the £3.9m loss reported during the same period in the prior year, that is quite the boost with those improvements driven by strategic cost-management initiatives sanctioned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
It looked set to be a challenging financial period for United without the addition of European football and the huge funding that comes with it, but that has clearly not entirely been the case.
Advertisement
There has however, been an unsurprising downturn in commercial and matchday revenue because of less games with the club just over £9million down.
United CEO Omar Berrada said: “We are now seeing the positive financial impact of our off-pitch transformation materialise both in our costs and profitability. We continue to take a football first approach and invest in both our men’s and women’s first teams.
“On the pitch our men’s team sits fourth in the Premier League and our women’s team are second in the Women’s Super League, as well as reaching the League Cup final and the quarter-final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Advertisement
“Today’s results demonstrate the underlying strength of our business as we continue to push for the best football results possible for our men’s and women’s teams.”
Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. **Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings
