Both Gervonta Davis and Vasily Lomachenko are planning on making their ring returns in the coming months and could possibly collide down the line, and four-division world champion Mikey Garcia has laid out his prediction for that potential scrap.

Davis and ‘Loma’ have been linked to a clash for a number of years, with both men deemed to be the standout players in the lightweight scene for quite some time, but Lomachenko’s retirement last June seemed to end all hope of that encounter taking place.

Meanwhile, ‘Tank’ Davis has not fought since March 2025, with external legal issues leading to an extended stint away from the ring, but it seems as though the three-division world champion is targeting a comeback either at the end of the year or in early 2027.

As for Lomachenko, the Ukrainian has also unveiled his plans to fight again, as he hopes to finally achieve his dream of becoming an undisputed champion, with a route to accomplishing that feat now becoming clear at super-featherweight.

Consequently, Davis-Lomachenko may soon emerge as a possibility once again and in an interview with About Boxing, Garcia assessed the pros and cons of both fighters.

“That’s a good match-up. Look, if we get a Lomachenko versus Davis fight at 135, the best of each other, I want to say Lomachenko [wins]. At his best, nobody beats him, with the skills, the footwork, everything.

“But then, I see Tank and he has got the power, man, and he has got the IQ to be patient and to look for the right openings and then one shot and it is over. 

“But, are we going to see that? Are we going to see the same Lomachenko? Even though I believe that the rest, the one year layoff could have helped, he is also getting older in age. Even though that break might help him reignite that fire and the passion, can the age be a factor?

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“All of these things are different variables that will be answered on the night of the fight, I guess, but I would definitely love to see that match-up because, at their best, both of them are probably the best in the division.” 

First, Lomachenko will likely fight Charly Suarez upon his return, after Suarez’s mandatory challenge for Emanuel Navarrete’s unified world titles was rejigged in favour of a three-belt unification with O’Shaquie Foster. 

Since Justin Jefferson entered the league in 2020, the Minnesota Vikings superstar wide receiver has been collecting records, milestones, and accolades. The 2026 season offers the potential for further glory, including a rather unique record he can break without too much difficulty.

Justin Jefferson Has the Chance for Unique Milestone in 2026

There is very little that Jefferson hasn’t done from an individual standpoint in his career. He is one of the league’s star players and plays in a very good receiving corps in Minnesota.

In his first six seasons, Jefferson has been the Offensive Player of the Year, a first- and second-team All-Pro, a multi-time Pro Bowler, and the NFL receptions and receiving yards leader. He has broken the receiving yards record for the number of yards after each season of a player’s career or age ever since he’s been in the league. To this point whatever records have been out in front of him, Jefferson has broken and the records will probably keep coming.

This year there is the chance for an unusual one when the Vikings head to Mexico City to take on the San Francisco 49ers in Week 11. Jefferson is closing in on the unique milestone of becoming the first player in NFL history to reach 500 career receiving yards on foreign soil. He needs just 12 more receiving yards and assuming he is healthy and he plays in Week 11, you would expect him to achieve it.

Jefferson has only managed less than 12 yards twice in his career. Both of those occasions occurred last season in back-to-back games – one with J.J. McCarthy at quarterback and Max Brosmer throwing the passes in the other.

Jefferson’s History on Foreign Soil

Jefferson has played on foreign soil on four previous occasions and has a total of 488 receiving yards from those four outings. That’s an impressive 122 receiving yards per game. Three of those games were in London in a winning effort, while the other game was a loss in Dublin last year. A trip to Mexico City will be a first for Jefferson and the Vikings.

Here are the stat lines for Jefferson’s four previous games on foreign soil.

2022 – Week 4 vs New Orleans Saints @ Tottenham Stadium, England – 10 catches for 147 yards.

2024 – Week 5 vs New York Jets @ Tottenham Stadium, England – 6 catches for 92 yards.

2025 – Week 4 vs Pittsburgh Steelers @ Croke Park, Republic of Ireland – 10 catches for 126 yards.

2025 – Week 5 vs Cleveland Browns @ Tottenham Stadium, England – 7 catches for 123 yards. 

It’s an impressive resume with Jefferson never having an off day in an international game. As one of the star attractions for the international fans that turn up, he has never disappointed.

If he does it again he will smash through that 500 receiving yards barrier and claim another (and this time unique) receiving record to add to his collection. Even if he has a quiet day he is probably going to break the record with the Vikings hoping for a more consistent offense with Kyler Murray as the new quarterback in Minnesota.

Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.

Tour Championship – first round

-8 MW Lee (Aus); -6 V Hovland (Nor), C Morikawa (US), C Gotterup (US); -5 R Gerard (US), A Bhatia (US), L Aberg (Swe), S Scheffler (US)

Selected others: -4 T Fleetwood (Eng), M Fitzpatrick (Eng), R Fox (NZ); -3 R MacIntyre (Sco), W Clark (US); -2 J Rose (Eng), A Fitzpatrick (Eng), R McIlroy (NI)

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Defending champion Tommy Fleetwood shot a four-under 66 to put himself in contention, four strokes off first-round leader Min Woo Lee at the Tour Championship in Atlanta.

However, Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy endured a mixed start in his bid to win a record-extending fourth Fedex Cup, bogeying two of the first four holes before fighting back on the back nine to sign for a 68.

Lee, who won last month’s Scottish Open, carded a bogey-free 62 to set the pace at eight under as he equalled his best ever round on the PGA Tour in its season-ending event at East Lake.

Australia’s Lee is two strokes clear of Norway’s Viktor Hovland, who triumphed in 2023, and American duo Collin Morikawa and Chris Gotterup.

It was a fine display from Lee, who was second from last in the BMW Championship a week ago and found himself without a partner for most of the day, with JJ Spaun withdrawing through injury after four holes.

“It was a little strange at first, just like looking for a playing partner and you’re just there by yourself,” said Lee.

“It was more just maintaining speeds and not rushing because I would just catch the group in front and wait. So I had to just slow down a little bit. It worked out.”

Ominously, world number one Scottie Scheffler ended his round with a birdie on the 18th to sit at five under, with England’s Matt Fitzpatrick in the mix at four under after also making a birdie four on the concluding hole.

Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre is at three under, with the highlight of his day arriving on the sixth hole when he rolled in a putt from over 30 feet for an eagle.

England’s Justin Rose and Alex Fitzpatrick both signed for rounds of 68 on a day when none of the 29 players in the field to complete the round went over par.

The winner on Sunday will take home the Fedex Cup and a $10m (£7.4m) prize.

Former GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah used to say that his phone was always charged. Is the same true of Nolan Teasley?

Presumably, the Vikings’ front office is in the process of listening and pitching. Smart teams are rewarded when they’re curious and open for business. Every so often, a good opportunity arises and the team decides to take the plunge. Maybe that means a swap gets pulled off at some point in the coming days. The Vikings must be having at least some discussion behind the scenes.

The Vikings’ Front Office & The Trade Trend Around the NFL

Pulling up the NFL’s transaction page and then toggling for trades means seeing several get across the finish line already:

• Caedan Wallace (NE/MIA)
• Daniel Faalele (NYG/JAX)
• Jaylen Reed (HOU/NE)
• Kayshon Boutte (NE/HOU)
• Deion Jones (NO/SF)
• Zamir White (SF/NO)
• Joshua Ezeuda (NYG/KC)
• Jarquez Hunter (LAR/MIA)
• Tutu Atwell (MIA/LAR)

None of the above names are game-breaking stars in the NFL. However, the point is that teams are already getting ahead of the sticks as it relates to player movement. Sometimes, that has involved setting guys free, such as the Colts showing Mekhi Blackmon the door with a cut.

A couple days ago, Kevin Patra chatted about the roster movement that’s coming.

“With clubs going from 90-man rosters to an initial 53-man crew, roughly 1,184 players will lose their jobs before Sunday’s cut-down deadline,” Patra explains. “Yes, each team will bring back players to the practice squad, and others will be re-signed over the next few weeks as IR spots are used. However, for a large chunk of players, this is the end of the line in 2026.”

Continuing to move through the piece means seeing some teams with a player(s) included into the speculation, such as J.J. McCarthy for the Vikings.

Consider that the Raiders have Aidan O’Connell included: “AOC should be a trade target for a team in need of a backup QB with starting experience. With no direct path to playing time with the additions of veteran Kirk Cousins and No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza, O’Connell’s time in Vegas should be coming to a close.” Do the Vikings need to upgrade at QB3?

Or, perhaps, does the Anthony Richardson swap finally occur? What about Chicago moving off of Garrett Bradbury after the addition of Logan Jones in the 2026 NFL Draft?

The Vikings’ end of things could involve some mixture of buying and selling.

Offloading Jonathan Greenard means having an extra 3rd for next year. Better yet, there’s likely going to be a compensatory pick added due to the loss of Jalen Nailor. There’s then a pile of free agents moving into the final year on their deals in Minnesota, meaning 2028 looks like a strong bet for some added compensatory help.

Tossing some added talent into the edge rusher crew and/or the center spot could make a lot of sense. Maybe another arm gets added and the run game could still get tweaked. What about safety?

According to Over the Cap, the Vikings are sitting atop roughly $22 million in cap space. Partner that open room with a reasonably rotund helping of draft picks and there are going to be some options, especially since some players on the rostrer could reasonably attract attention on the trade market.

Does the emergence of Jacob Roberts and Bangally Kamara make a LB trade possible? The Vikings could bump up one of those guys while offloading somebody higher on the depth chart.

Many can quibble with the wisdom of trying to compete in 2026 rather than rebuilding, but the Vikings aren’t throwing in the towel. Instead, the plan is to get into the playoffs and make noise once there. All that needs to be determined is whether the team is actually good enough to achieve those goals.

The Vikings’ front office has a lot of work to do in the coming days. Quite possibly, that work will lead to a trade(s) getting across the finish line.

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

Allianz Stadium will play host to Saturday’s
Round 26 NRL game between Sydney Roosters and
Dolphins. The game kicks off at 5:30 pm with Sydney Roosters heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Sydney Roosters vs.
Dolphins
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Saturday August 29, 2026 at 5:30 pm

Where: Allianz Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

Sydney Roosters vs Dolphins Odds

Sydney Roosters vs Dolphins Preview

The Roosters’ eight-match winning streak ended with a 25-24 loss to Wests Tigers, dropping them from first to third and tightening the race for a home qualifying final. The Dolphins strengthened their top-four position by beating Parramatta 34-16 and arrive with a settled squad. James Tedesco has again been named for Sydney after three consecutive late withdrawals, while Victor Radley is out following a head knock. The Dolphins retain the combination that handled the Eels and will draw confidence from their emphatic 48-10 win over the Roosters in Round 15. Sydney’s home record and powerful middle make this a demanding assignment, but the visitors’ speed through Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Jamayne Isaako and Selwyn Cobbo can punish any defensive hesitation. The Dolphins are capable of confirming that earlier result with another upset.

Canelo Alvarez is planning on regaining his WBC super-middleweight world title when he returns to action against Christian Mbilli in October, and one of the Mexican superstar’s former sparring partners has offered his verdict on the bout.

Canelo lost the undisputed super-middleweight crown to Terence Crawford last September, only for Crawford’s retirement to lead to the vacation of all four straps and see Mbilli elevated to full WBC world champion.

Canelo was sidelined by an injury to his right elbow in that scrap and underwent surgery earlier this year, but secured his spot in a challenge for his old belt as Mbilli agreed to a lucrative fight offer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Speaking to Sean Zittel, Yoenli Hernandez, who sparred Alvarez ahead of his showdown with Crawford, declared his belief that Canelo will come out on top against Mbilli and return to the 168lb throne.

“Yes, definitely [he has enough left to beat Mbilli], when he is in that training camp he focuses in on and makes sure that he is ready for his guy.

“He still has a lot in the tank, so that should be an interesting fight but I see Canelo winning.”

Canelo-Mbilli is scheduled to go ahead on Saturday, October 31st, where he will top a ‘Mexico vs. The World’ themed bill, which is already set to feature one additional world title contest, with others expected to be added soon.

Meanwhile, Hernandez defeated Francisco Daniel Veron in a career-best success on Saturday and the Cuban is set to be mandated for a shot at Denzel Bentley’s WBO middleweight title, although Bentley will be permitted one voluntary defence before that fight is enforced.

Shakur Stevenson has shunned a move up to welterweight this year, but one man who could be able tempt him up to 147lbs is legendary eight-division world champion, Manny Pacquiao. Now, former opponent, Teofimo Lopez, has offered his thoughts on a potential fight between the pair.

Pacquiao was being linked to a professional rematch with Floyd Mayweather and then a surprise shot at Liam Paro’s IBF welterweight world title, where a win would have seen ‘Pac Man’ break his own record as the oldest 147lb champion of all time.

However, it seems as though both of those opportunities are no longer available, with Mayweather tied up in legal issues and Paro moving on to a potential unification with Devin Haney or an all-Australian bout with George Kambosos Jnr.

As a result, with both Stevenson and Pacquiao currently looking for an opponent, rumours have began to emerge suggesting that the two could collide.

When asked about the match-up by Ariel Helwani, Lopez stated that he believes Pacquiao still ‘has enough in the tank to give Stevenson a good fight’.

“[That is] not bad, no. Two southpaws. Manny looked great when he fought [Mario] Barrios. I believe that he should have won that. It should have been Ryan [Garcia] vs. Manny Pacquiao for the WBC Teofimo Lopez delivers verdict on potential Manny Pacquiao vs Shakur Stevenson fight.

“It’s a great technical fight, I think that Pacquiao still has enough in the tank to give him a tough fight, if that’s the case and they do meet in the ring.”

Stevenson has recently signed with Zuffa Boxing and has also been mentioned for a clash with fellow super-lightweight world champion, Gary Antuanne Russell, in recent weeks.

“The toughest opponent is old man par.” So said Bobby Jones nearly a century ago. Times have changed.

Today’s young stars beat par with ease, routinely taking rounds deep into the red. They look for motivation in another opponent, but their greatest adversaries are also their peers.

“It’s pretty amazing what the young guys are doing,” Tommy Morrison said on a recent episode of GOLF’s Subpar podcast.

At 22, Morrison is a young guy himself who has rocketed to success since making his Korn Ferry Tour debut this year. He tied for 10th in his first start, followed that with a fifth and a runner-up finish before breaking through with a victory at the Evans Scholars Invitational. He added another runner-up finish the following week.

Morrison has watched plenty of his twentysomething peers make noise, too. Ben James shot a 61 in the final round of the Wyndham Championship to finish third. Michael Thorbjornsen captured his first PGA Tour win this month at the Rocket Classic. And then there’s Jackson Koivun, who won on Tour in just his third start as a professional.

Morrison said the youth movement didn’t surprise him, given how competitive college golf has become.

But seeing his peers actually go out and do it at the highest level is another matter.

“It has definitely inspired me,” he said. “Especially watching Frankie (Harris) shoot 59 and win.” That was at the Pinnacle Bank Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour earlier this month.

It’s not just the youngsters who are feeling motivated. Precocious showings of that kind have lit a fire under members of the Tour’s older guard, too.

Morrison recalled a recent conversation with Xander Schauffele, who told him, “I’d be lying if I said Jackson winning on Tour didn’t motivate me.”

For all their success, though, there’s still plenty left to prove. At the 2027 Masters, not a single player under 30 will have won a major. The youngest major champion in the field will be 30-year-old Collin Morikawa.

Morrison wouldn’t be surprised if that changes soon.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if a younger guy got it,” he said.

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Queensland Country Bank Stadium will play host to Saturday’s
Round 26 NRL game between North Queensland Cowboys and
Wests Tigers. The game kicks off at 7:35 pm with North Queensland Cowboys heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the North Queensland Cowboys vs.
Wests Tigers
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Saturday August 29, 2026 at 7:35 pm

Where: Queensland Country Bank Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

North Queensland Cowboys vs Wests Tigers Odds

North Queensland Cowboys vs Wests Tigers Preview

North Queensland returns from a bye knowing a victory could secure its finals place, depending on Canterbury’s result against Penrith. The Cowboys last played in Round 24, when they were edged 32-30 by Parramatta, and the extra preparation should help after that demanding contest. Wests Tigers arrives with renewed belief following a 25-24 upset of the Roosters. Tom Dearden and Jeremiah Nanai return for North Queensland, although Murray Taulagi is sidelined by concussion. The Tigers lose Alex Twal to concussion, with Sunia Turuva and Ethan Roberts included on the interchange. Wests dominated the Round 2 meeting 44-16 and carries genuine attacking threats, but the Cowboys’ rest advantage, home conditions and stronger finals motivation should allow their returning playmakers to dictate the decisive periods.