Moses Itauma is set to continue his pursuit of the heavyweight world title when he headlines the O2 Arena in August. Now, an opponent is close to being confirmed in a fight that promoter Frank Warren believes the youngster faces a ‘massive test’.
Itauma has breezed through the opposition in all 14 of his professional bouts to date and is well placed for a world title challenge at just 21 years old, positioned as the WBO mandatory challenger and ranked number one with the WBA.
Following his latest win against Jermaine Franklin Jr in March, Itauma announced that he would have liked to face Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic next, seemingly disappointed that the Rio 2016 bronze medallist was scheduled to take on Dave Allen instead.
“I would like to see that fight [between Itauma and Hrgovic] happen. There is negotiations going on and I would love to see that fight happen, it is a massive test for Moses and a massive fight.
“That has got fight written all over it, hasn’t it? It’d be an exciting fight, if we can make it happen.”
The comments echo those of Warren’s son, George, who said after the Allen fight that his immediate goal is to get the bout signed.
Itauma will headline the O2 Arena in London on Saturday, August 8, in what will be his second main event slot, as he looks to continue to build his profile. If the Hrgovic fight makes it over the line, assuming the cut suffered by the Croatian against Allen is healed in time, it will indeed be the most significant step up in Itauma’s career so far.
Toronto Maple Leafs No. 1 draft pick Gavin McKenna has already been on the ice with the team as it held its development camp this week, but the highly-touted rookie is going to have to make a big change for this fall.
His number.
When he was playing for the Western Hockey League’s Medicine Hat Tigers and then again at Penn State this past season, McKenna wore the No. 72.
Toronto Maple Leafs top pick Gavin McKenna has revealed that he’ll be opting for a new number for his rookie campaign.(Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
The expectation was that McKenna would wear No. 72 with the Maple Leafs, and he did so this week at development camp. Plenty of fans have also already ordered No. 72 jerseys with his name on the back.
On most rosters, No. 72 is unique enough that he wouldn’t run into any issues wearing it. However, on July 1, the Leafs signed two-time Stanley Cup champion goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who has worn No. 72 for most of his career, except during his first two seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, when he wore No. 35.
So, some were wondering how this would work out. Would the Leafs want their new franchise player to get his pick of the number litter, or would they defer to a two-time Vezina winner?
Gavin McKenna wore No. 72 in juniors, as well as last season at Penn State.(Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images)
Well, it turns out that McKenna will be the one swapping numbers, and he’ll be switching to No. 92 this season.
McKenna had to get creative here because the obvious number changes were a no-go in Toronto. Adding 7 and 2 would be 9, but that was retired in honor of Charlie Conacher and Ted Kennedy.
Another option would’ve been to flip the digits and go with No. 27, but that was retired in honor of Frank Mahovlich and Darryl Sittler.
However, McKenna reached out to one of the three previous players to wear the number, Jeff O’Neill, to ask whether he was comfortable with him using it.
McKenna will be a key piece of a Maple Leafs team that is looking to bounce back after a nightmare 2025-26 campaign that saw them finish last in the Atlantic Division.
Talk of a return to the ring for former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko has resurfaced after the Ukrainian was pictured alongside promoter Alex Krassyuk.
Klitschko is widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights of the modern era. The Ukrainian reigned over boxing’s glamour division throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s, making 18 successful world title defences during his second reign before hanging up the gloves after losses to Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. He retired with a professional record of 64 wins, 53 by knockout, and five defeats.
The photograph with Krassyuk – captioned “something big is coming” – has inevitably reignited speculation over Klitschko’s future, with the 50-year-old repeatedly linked to a comeback since retiring in 2017.
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Should he do so, he has made it clear that George Foreman’s record as the oldest heavyweight champion in history would be the target, and countryman Oleksandr Usyk vacating his three world titles has made that more realistic.
Speaking to Playbook Boxing, Spencer Brown, manager of new WBC champion Agit Kabayel, suggested a fight between the pair would be ‘historic’.
“I think there are a couple of fights out there for Klitschko. I think number one would be Agit Kabayel in Germany. Could you imagine that? Fighting for a WBC world title, which he held for a long time? It would be a historical fight and it would be huge. You wouldn’t have a stadium big enough to fill that in Germany … That would be the oldest fighter ever to try and regain his title, wouldn’t it?”
Given the WBC’s history of granting former champions with ‘legendary status’ comeback title shots despite not being actively ranked – Manny Pacquiao the most recent example – the Ukrainian may well be granted the opportunity if he pursues it.
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Brown also mentioned another of his fighters, Tyson Fury, as a possible opponent should Klitschko decide to return, reigniting their 2015 rivalry and delivering on a rematch that never happened.
Oct 20, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) watches the action against the New Orleans Saints in the second half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic
It’s time for VikingsTerritory’s weekly batch of Nopedy Nopes, which are Vikings-themed things that did not work out, horrible takes, or items that have emerged as total falsehoods.
The series has spanned over two years — because the internet’s outrageousness never quits.
These are this week’s Nopedy Nopes.
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The Kyler Murray Gaming Rumor Gets Another Reality Check
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) huddles with the offense during the first half against the Seattle Seahawks at State Farm Stadium on Jan 7, 2024. Murray gathered teammates in Glendale while Arizona worked through another NFC West sequence, setting the call before a snap in the regular-season finale that afternoon. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports.
The Nopedy Nope: Kyler Murray has a video game problem.
Cardinals tight end Trey McBride played with Murray for four years in Arizona. He knows the guy.
Bussin’ with the Boys hosts asked McBride about Murray’s alleged ardor for Call of Duty, and he replied, “It was never really a thing. He never talked about playing video games, but every single week he was in the media…he never talked about gaming or anything. I think they were just finding any stat to get on him.”
McBride added about Murray’s on-the-field tools, “Kyler’s not the tallest guy. He’s a baseball guy, so he throws from every different arm angle. He’s scrambling around so he’s a very different quarterback than I’ve played with. It was cool, we had a lot of success together.”
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If McBride ran around with Murray for four years, and Murray never mentioned video games, Murray’s so-called obsession is likely entirely false.
The Verdict: Unsurprisingly, Murray’s career is not affected by excessive video game consumption.
The Nopedy Nope: Ed Ingram flunking out of the league after the Vikings traded him.
The Vikings traded Ingram to Houston in March 2025, and he’s just all smiles these days, now existing on the Texans’ roster as one of the NFL’s best guards, according to Pro Football Focus.
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Ingram spoke to a new station in Houston this week, KPRC2, and mentioned the Texans: “What better place for me to be than Houston? I came here, I excelled. Shout out to Cole Popovich. He never let me get complacent, and he always challenged me.”
“Personally, I’ve always thought I’m a great player. All I need is the right person to help me. Coming here was probably the best thing to ever happen to me in my career, coming here and having a coach.”
Minnesota Vikings guard Ed Ingram appears during official NFL player headshots for the 2023 season as part of league media day in 2023. The portrait captured the offensive lineman before a later career shift, with Ingram eventually joining the Houston Texans in 2025 after a trade from Minnesota that offseason. Mandatory Credit: NFL Photos-USA TODAY NETWORK.
Vikings fans were actually happy when Minnesota traded Ingram. Tables have turned.
Ingram continued, “Pretty much take me under his wing and kind of hone in my skills, because the skills were there. It just needed to be honed in and just controlled a little bit. It has helped me out tremendously.”
“I love Houston, I love this team. It’s just like an energy you feel just walking into the building with this team. The Houston Texans, it’s a different feeling. Everybody’s close, tight-knit. We all are in this together.”
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The Verdict: Ingram was unlocked in Houston, unlike Minnesota, where he was mediocre. He’s thrilled to be off the Vikings’ roster.
The Nopedy Nope: Trading Jonathan Greenard was smart.
ESPN’s Seth Walder sized up every team’s offseason this week, outlining moves he enjoyed and disliked. For the Vikings, he admonished the Greenard trade.
Walder explained his mindset: “Move I disliked: Trading Edge Jonathan Greenard for two third-round picks. During the draft, the Vikings dealt Greenard, one of their best players, to the Eagles in exchange for two third-round picks.”
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“I don’t think it was worth it, especially in the current trade environment for high-end players. Despite only three sacks in 12 games last season, Greenard’s 23.2% pass rush win rate at edge would have ranked fourth at the position had he qualified.”
Minnesota Vikings defenders Jonathan Greenard and Harrison Phillips react after bringing down C.J. Stroud at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sep 22, 2024. Kenyon Green and Harrison Smith framed the fourth-quarter moment as Minnesota reset near the line, capturing a clean snapshot of coordinated pressure during a late defensive surge against Houston. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
It’s worth noting that he championed the Kyler Murray signing: “The best thing about the Vikings’ offseason is them signing Murray to a veterans minimum deal, which was possible due to his offsets from his contract with the Cardinals. It was a boon for Minnesota.”
“Murray’s services would be worth many millions more on the free market, and he provides an answer at quarterback in the wake of J.J. McCarthy’s rough 2025 season.”
Greenard secured a lucrative contract in Philadelphia, which is not unexpected for a top-tier EDGE.
The primary hurdle for the Vikings was the financial commitment. A four-year, $100 million contract (or a similar figure) exceeded what the Vikings were initially willing to spend. Heading into the 2026 offseason, Minnesota prioritized judicious cap management and value-driven acquisitions. They largely avoided significant expenditures unless the deal was exceptionally favorable, as was the case with Kyler Murray, but not with Greenard.
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While the Eagles could apparently accommodate such an expense, it was not feasible for Minnesota. So, the Vikings pursued a different strategy, acquiring James Pierre (CB), Ryan Van Demark (OT), and Jauan Jennings (WR) in free agency for considerably less. Jennings’s $8 million deal indicates that Minnesota wasn’t entirely frugal, but they certainly weren’t splurging.
Greenard’s 2025 statistics also complicated matters. Three sacks for an average of $25 million per year, even if market-driven, is head-scratching.
The Verdict: On trading Greenard, ESPN said “nopedy nope.”
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
The AL and NL squads, including starters, were unveiled Saturday night ahead of the July 14 Midsummer Classic in Philadelphia
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The full rosters are set for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game. This year’s Midsummer Classic will be played Tuesday, July 14, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. The All-Star Game will, as is tradition, close out a mini-celebration that includes the 2026 MLB Draft (July 11-12), the Futures Game (July 12), the Home Run Derby (July 13).
All-Star Game starters were determined by fan vote. Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani and Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement received the most votes in their respective leagues, allowing them to skip the second phase of voting entirely. The rest of the roster was determined by player voting and selections by the commissioner’s office.
At the team level, the Dodgers, Braves and Phillies lead all comers with five All-Stars apiece. In the AL, the Yankees, Blue Jays and Rays top the circuit with four selections. As is always the case these days, each of MLB’s 30 teams has at least one All-Star representative.
The National League will be managed by Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts, a nice bonus after leading his squad to last year’s World Series title. The American League, meanwhile, will be helmed by Blue Jays manager John Schneider. Each manager will select his team’s starting pitcher in the coming days.
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Now, onto the respective squads.
American League starters
Catcher: Shea Langeliers, Athletics
First base: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays (declined to participate, back discomfort)
Second base: Ernie Clement, Blue Jays (leading AL vote-getter)
Shortstop: Bobby Witt Jr., Royals
Third base: Junior Caminero, Rays
Outfield: Mike Trout, Angels
Outfield: Byron Buxton, Twins
Outfield: Aaron Judge, Yankees (injured, will not play)
Reigning and undisputed ONE women’s atomweight Muay Thai world champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues of Brazil escaped the jaws of defeat by the skin of her teeth, and did just enough to retain her gold against atomweight kickboxing titleholder ‘The Queen’ Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom.
Rodrigues turned in a gutsy performance, getting just past Phetjeeja behind an aggressive, powerful offense that kept the Thai fighter on the defensive in the final frame of their five-round war at The Inner Circle 19.
Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Rodrigues said she would welcome an immediate rematch with Phetjeeja, out of respect for the Thai dynamo.
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Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
The mom-champ told the world’s largest martial arts organization:
“We’re always ready, and we’re going to get better and better. Thank you so much for the fight. I have so much respect for you and your story. It was a pleasure to share the ring with Phetjeeja. See you soon. We work for the company. Whatever they give us, we’ll take. I promise I will only get better and better.”
The Inner Circle 19 was broadcast live from the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, June 19. Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all of the action via replay on-demand via live.onefc.com for a small monthly subscription.
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Allycia Hellen Rodrigues may shift her focus on a third sport
Allycia Hellen Rodrigues has conquered the world of Muay Thai. But there’s one goal that has always been on her mind, to make the transition to mixed martial arts.
Rodrigues admits that MMA has long been on her radar and that it may be next for her on the global stage of ONE Championship.
The Brazilian superstar said:
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“I’m already training MMA, and I’m planning to make the move. If everything goes well, my next fight will be in MMA. For sure, I want the MMA belt.”
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding Allycia Hellen Rodrigues’ next fight.
Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer has opined that no bowler supported Axar Patel as the Men in Blue suffered a four-wicket defeat to England in the second T20I of the five-match series. The contest was played on Saturday, July 4 in Manchester.
Chasing 191, the hosts won with six balls to spare, with Jacob Bethell top-scoring with an unbeaten 76 off 46 balls. For the visitors, Arshdeep Singh took three wickets but conceded 40 runs, while Axar Patel was brilliant, picking up the crucial wicket of Harry Brook and conceding just 20 runs in his four-over spell.
Speaking on the YouTube channel (Wasim Jaffer Official), the 48-year-old said that Axar lacked support from the other bowlers and also highlighted Ravi Bishnoi’s spell, in which he conceded 60 runs in four overs, adding that it proved to be the difference in the game. Jaffer said:
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“Apart from Axar, it felt like no one really complemented him. Just look at his economy. Everyone else went at over 10 runs an over, and Ravi Bishnoi ended up conceding 60 runs. That, in my opinion, was probably the difference in the game. With Ravi Bishnoi, his biggest strength is also his biggest weakness. He bowls very quickly, you know, and he’s quite one-dimensional. Because of that, once batters figure him out, they know how to play him. So, today was a really tough day for him.”
Jaffer also spoke about Varun Chakaravarthy, who returned figures of 1/37 in his four overs, noting that international batters have now started to read him. He said:
“The same applies to Varun as well. You know, this is something we also saw during the World Cup. It seems international batters have started to understand how to play Varun. So, apart from Axar Patel, it felt like India didn’t really have another reliable bowling option.”
Meanwhile, during the match, Axar reached the milestone of 100 T20I wickets, becoming the first Indian spinner to achieve the feat with the dismissal of Brook.
“It always feels like whatever total India puts up is gettable” – Wasim Jaffer highlights India’s bowling concerns
In the same discussion, Wasim Jaffer opined that without Jasprit Bumrah, who has been rested for the series, any total posted by India seems achievable. He also noted that with Hardik Pandya unavailable due to injury and a lack of trust in Shivam Dube, things become more difficult. Jaffer said:
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“I’ve said this before as well. When Jasprit Bumrah isn’t there, you know, and you also don’t have Hardik. We don’t use Shivam Dube as a bowler because we don’t trust him enough with the ball. So, without Bumrah, it always feels like whatever total India puts up is gettable.”
The Men in Blue will now return to action on Tuesday, July 7 in Nottingham for the third T20I against England.
If you’ve been waiting for the right time to upgrade your golf gear, this is it. For a limited time, Fairway Jockey is offering four times the rewards points on every qualifying purchase through the weekend.
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Whether you’re ready to invest in a new set of clubs, replace worn-out essentials, or check a few items off your wish list, there’s no better time to buy. Don’t miss your chance to maximize your rewards before Fairway Jockey’s Independence Day promotion comes to a close.
Kylian Mbappé scored the only goal of the game from a second-half penalty as France beat Paraguay in a cagey Round of 16 tie in Philadelphia on Saturday. Les Bleus will take on Morocco in the quarter-finals on Thursday in Boston.
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha (1) applauds the crowd as he leaves after the World Cup round of 32 football match between Argentina and Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
MIAMI GARDENS, Florida — Cape Verde’s World Cup team walked into its Miami hotel after getting eliminated from the tournament, almost in disbelief at the scene in the lobby.
Let that be the first sign of how things are going to be very different in many respects for the team, at least for the foreseeable future. Such is the case when a club goes from unheralded — and practically unheard of — to taking Lionel Messi and Argentina to the brink of elimination on football’s biggest stage, before falling 3-2 in a match that went to extra time.
“It’s time to rest and think about the future,” Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha said. “But I am very, very proud of the team’s work, and I hope that in the future we can achieve great things.”
In other words, he hopes seeds were planted.
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Cape Verde went 0-1-3 in its four matches at its inaugural World Cup, which won’t look great on paper. More than two-thirds of the 48 teams in this tournament won at least one game; Cape Verde wasn’t one of them.
But the record simply doesn’t tell the whole story.
It played Spain to a scoreless draw to open the group stage, making the chance of advancing to the knockout stage very real. There were two more ties in group play — a 2-2 tie against Uruguay that put Cape Verde on the brink of advancing, then a 0-0 tie against Saudi Arabia that was good enough to get the round of 32 trip secured.
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Argentina’s players and coaches, to their credit, insisted they did not expect a cakewalk past Cape Verde. And when the match was over, Messi — generally considered to be the greatest player of all time — had nothing but compliments for the underdog opponent.
“Some people thought the match was going to be straightforward, but that couldn’t have been further from reality,” Messi said after Friday’s match. “They pressed us really well. There are no handouts in knockout football. They’d already performed well against Spain and Uruguay, so we knew it was going to be difficult.”
For Argentina, getting the win was indeed difficult.
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For Cape Verde, coming to grips that the ride ends here was also difficult.
That said, when they walked through that hotel lobby, it was like the return of conquering heroes. Bubista, the team’s coach, shook his fist in celebration. Many players couldn’t stop smiling. Vozinha shook some hands and posed for a few photos.
They were celebrities. Rock stars, almost. The score didn’t matter. The totality of three weeks that put Cape Verde on soccer’s map did matter.
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“I can only thank our team for their effort and for showing so much heart on that pitch,” Bubista said. “And I think everyone should thank them for what they did for this tournament.”
On the night from Saturday to Sunday, France secured their place in the World Cup quarter-finals after an extremely tense match against Paraguay.
Faced with a Paraguayan approach and fouls that were constantly flirting with the red line, as was the refereeing of Mr. Tantashev, Les Bleus still managed to come through by keeping their frustration under control.
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But one small scene sparked a lot of discussion at the end of the match. After mocking a few Paraguayan players who came to shove him, Kylian Mbappé deliberately ignored the opposing goalkeeper, who had come to shake his hand after the match.
A gesture that clearly did not please Orlando Gill, who threw the ball at the France captain before criticizing his attitude in the press conference.
“Kylian Mbappé annoyed me. I went over to him after the match to congratulate him, but he refused to shake my hand,” he explained before calming things down.
“I quickly cooled off. I have nothing but congratulations for them. France are having an excellent World Cup and they are contenders for the title,” Orlando Gill concluded. The rest of his statement can be found below in the video.
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