Dave Allen has delivered on his promise to come into his clash with Filip Hrgovic in decent shape.

The fan favourite Brit has blown hot and cold throughout his career, often revealing after defeats that he could have trained harder and prepared better.

This weekend, he looks to claim the biggest scalp of his campaign in Hrgovic, the world-level, well-schooled and durable Croatian, whose only defeat has come against new world champion Daniel Dubois.

Despite still viewing a headline slot at London’s O2 Arena against Lucas Browne as the greatest achievement of his career, Allen will fight in front of 10,000 home fans at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, and the significance of that has not passed him by.

He has clearly trainer hard, tipping the scales at 248.8lbs. It is an impressive drop from the 271 he weighed in his last outing – a first round blowout of Karim Berredjem in February. In fact, it is the lowest weight Allen has registered since his 2019 loss to David Price.

Speaking on the transformation, ‘Dazzling’ Dave said:

“I’ve just ate less chocolate, less sweets … People talk about sacrifice but I’m very fortunate really. I spend a lot of time with my family, my kids and I box for a living. Everyone in here doing 9-5, that’s a sacrifice. It would be unfair to me to talk about sacrifice, I live my dream every day. Sometimes in the gym it’s hard, sometimes I want to eat stuff, but I’m gonna walk out to 10,000 people in Doncaster against one of the best heavyweights in the world. That was my dream and I’m about to live it.”

Regardless of his shape, most see Hrgovic as too big a mountain to climb for Allen. He is aware of that, but believes he can produce one of the biggest upsets ever seen on UK shores.

“He’s a great fighter, but I’ve got no fear of him. All week he’s trying to tell me I don’t want to look at him. I couldn’t care less about Filip Hrgovic. It’s a boxing match.

“On paper I shouldn’t even be in the ring with him, but I just feel like tomorrow, in Donny, it’ll be a special night and I’m gonna get one of the biggest upsets in British boxing history.”

Should Allen fail to upset the odds, and Hrgovic comes out with the win unscathed, he is widely expected to face Moses Itauma in August.

The second leg of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown takes place on Saturday afternoon in Maryland. The 2026 Preakness Stakes sees a nearly brand new field from the set of horses that competed for the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago with only Incredibolt a holdover. That means Golden Tempo, the 2026 Kentucky Derby winner, will not race and there will be no Triple Crown winner this year.

The 2026 Preakness will be contended at Laurel Park once again as the traditional home of Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore continues renovations. The 14 horses in the field at the Preakness will be running for the coveted Woodlawn Vase and the winner’s share of the $2 million purse — the same prize pool the Preakness has had since 2024. 

The winner of Saturday’s race will take home $1.2 million, while the rest of the top five will split the remainder of the purse. 

2026 Preakness Stakes purse, payouts

1st: $1,200,000
2nd: $400,000 
3rd: $220,000
4th: $120,000
5th: $60,000

Traditionally, 80% of that goes to the horse’s owner (or owners), while 10% goes to the trainer and the final 10% goes to the jockey. 

Cherie DeVaux, who became the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby, will not have a horse in the Preakness, but Golden Tempo jockey Jose Ortiz will be back in the saddle in Maryland. Two weeks after he took home $310,000 for his efforts riding Golden Tempo to the win at the Kentucky Derby, he will be on one of the favorites at Laurel Park with Chip Honcho and hopes to add another six-figure payday this weekend. 

2026 Preakness Stakes post positions, odds, jockeys and trainers

1. Taj Mahal (5-1): Sheldon Russell; Brittany Russell
2. Ocelli (6-1): Tyler Gaffalione; Whit Beckman
3. Crupper (30-1): Junior Alvarado; Donnie Von Hemel
4. Robusta (30-1): Rafael Bejarano; Doug O’Neill
5. Talkin (20-1): Irad Ortiz, Jr.; Danny Gargan
6. Chip Honcho (5-1): Jose Ortiz; Steven Asmussen
7. The Hell We Did (15-1): Luis Saez; Todd Fincher
8. Bull by the Horns (30-1): Micah Husbands; Saffie Joseph, Jr. 
9. Iron Honor (9/2): Flavien Prat; Chad Brown
10. Napoleon Solo (8-1): Joel Rosario; Chad Summers
11. Corono de Oro (30-1): John Velazquez; Dallas Stewart
12. Incredibolt (5-1): Jaime Torre; Riley Mott
13. Great White (15-1): Alex Achard; John Ennis
14. Pretty Boy Miah (15-1): Ricardo Santana, Jr.; Jeremiah Englehart

Which horse wins the Preakness Stakes 2026, and which stunning longshot is a must-back?  Visit SportsLine to see Jody Demling’s picks for the Preakness Stakes, all from the expert who has nailed the last three winners.

Katie Taylor at Croke Park: A Milestone for Irish Women’s Sports

Having anything but Gaelic games at Croke Park can cause a bit of a stir. Consider that there has been an outcry over the decision to have Leeds United and Manchester United play a friendly game at Croker this summer. It’s not that everyone is annoyed when “foreign” sports are played on the hallowed turf; it’s more that the exception to the rule should be an exceptional one.

Which brings us to Katie Taylor and the push to hold the boxer’s final fight at the stadium. It’s not confirmed yet – we are still at the “advanced talks” stage – but there is a feeling we should get confirmation soon. It all sounds positive coming out of Taylor’s camp, and you get the sense that only a technicality could hold it up. The will is there to put it on.

And what a fitting way to go out for Taylor. She has already done so much to raise the profile of women’s boxing globally. Her Olympic gold, her almost unblemished professional record, her venerated trilogy series with Amanda Serrano, and her partnership with Netflix all served to put women’s boxing on the map in Ireland and abroad.

A big moment for women’s sports

Yet, the date at Croke Park – if it were to go ahead – feels like an important milestone for women in sport. There’s been plenty of great work done to elevate women’s sport in Ireland, especially in sports like rugby union. Yet, there is a consensus that more must be done. Having Taylor fight in front of 82,000+ fans won’t fix everything, but it will be emblematic of the extent to which Taylor has elevated women’s boxing. She’s probably the most famous boxer – of any gender – in Ireland right now.

An important aspect of driving interest in women’s sports is arguably giving it a separate identity from the men’s. The WNBA, for instance, has done a very good job of this, separating itself from the men’s league, driving engagement through everything from social media to WNBA betting to having separate arenas. The patient approach to building the league as a separate “product” is starting to pay off, though the league is taking a multi-decade approach as it expands.

Taylor has helped separate women’s boxing from men’s

Arguably, Taylor’s ascendancy was much the same, taking her to a position where women’s boxing was a distinct draw. The Netflix deal was a prime example of that. The streaming giant made a huge deal of the Irish star, releasing documentaries, publishing blogs, hype packages and, of course, showing the Serrano fight live. There was no sense of women’s boxing being in any way secondary.

And that’s what is so alluring about the potential Croke Park date. It will tell a generation of young girls that “this is a big deal”. Perhaps more importantly, it will showcase women’s sports to the decision-makers and the money-people who can make elite women’s sports events happen. The fight will be about Taylor – one of the greatest boxers in Irish history, and perhaps the best women’s boxer in history – but the event will be about building the distinct identity of elite-level women’s sports in general. Hopefully, they can pull it off.

In a major development for weightlifting in the South Asian region, the South Asian Weightlifting Federation (SAWF) has unanimously elected Sahdev Yadav as its new president during the federation’s election meeting held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on Tuesday, May 12.

Sahdev Yadav, who currently serves as the president of the Indian Weightlifting Federation, was chosen with the support of all member nations and officials present at the meeting. His appointment comes at a time when South Asian countries are looking to strengthen cooperation in the sport and improve standards across athlete development, coaching, infrastructure, and international participation.

Along with his responsibilities in India, Sahdev Yadav also holds key positions in global sporting bodies, including treasurer of the Indian Olympic Association, vice president of the Commonwealth Weightlifting Federation, and assistant to the president of the Asian Weightlifting Federation.

Leadership responsibilities expand

The unanimous election is being viewed as recognition of Sahdev Yadav’s contribution to the growth of weightlifting at both national and international levels. Federation officials stated that his experience in administration and international sports governance would help SAWF strengthen collaboration among South Asian nations and create better opportunities for athletes in the region.

Sabina Yadav appointed CEO

The meeting also confirmed the appointment of Sabina Yadav as the chief executive officer of the South Asian Weightlifting Federation. She currently serves as joint secretary of the Indian Weightlifting Federation and is also a member of the Innovation Committee of the International Weightlifting Federation.

Officials expressed confidence that the newly elected leadership team would help raise the standards of the sport in South Asia and promote sporting unity among member nations.

Other office bearers elected

The election process also saw the appointment of several other officials to important positions within the federation. Ram Krishna Sreshtha of Nepal was elected general secretary, while Ibrahim Hameed of Maldives and Sanka Ratnayake of Sri Lanka were named vice presidents. Bangladesh’s Shahria Sultana was elected an executive board member.

The Asian Weightlifting Federation also congratulated the newly elected officials and expressed confidence that the new administration would contribute significantly to the development of weightlifting across the region in the coming years.

The Minnesota Vikings will showcase a few position battles at training camp in late July, but none is higher profile than the quarterback competition between the incumbent, J.J. McCarthy, and the newcomer, Kyler Murray. And as of May, there’s a frontrunner to prevail — pretty heavily, actually: Murray.

Minnesota’s quarterback room suddenly has a betting favorite before training camp begins.

Carson Wentz will be there, too, but he’s realistically in line for the QB3 job.

Murray Enters Summer with a Clear Edge

McCarthy faces an uphill battle to seize the job he had last year.

Vegas Points to Murray as Overwhelming Frontrunner

Sportsbooks generally have odds for everything, and the Vikings’ quarterback race is no different. VikingzFanPage, an account with nearly 30,000 followers on Twitter (X), tweeted Wednesday, “Kyler Murray is the overwhelming favorite (-1000) to start week 1 for the Vikings, per FanDuel. J.J. McCarthy (+600) and Carson Wentz (+7000) trail him.”

As a point of reference, a -1,000 moneyline is close to the equivalent of an NFL kicker connecting on a 25-yard field goal. That’s how automatic Murray is for oddsmakers later this summer.

Saying the Quiet Part Out Loud

The telling part about the gambling odds? This is what most reasonable Vikings expect as the ultimate outcome.

When the Cardinals ousted Murray in March, it was just kind of a generalized assumption that he would land with the Vikings. The momentum emerged immediately, and with very little suspense, he signed in Minnesota.. That was that.

While every athlete should have to earn his spot on the roster, all signs point to Murray, pretty damn strongly indicating he was signing with the Vikings as the QB1. The team either insinuated it, or Murray is confident enough to know that he’s not losing a camp battle to McCarthy.

SI.com‘s Thomas Carelli noted on Murray this week, “While his QB1 job has yet to be confirmed, the expectation is that Murray will easily beat out JJ McCarthy, if that even is a competition. It is fair to question how good Murray is. However, he finds himself in the perfect situation. Murray plays indoors for an offensive wizard and quarterback expert in Kevin O’Connell.”

“He has Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jauan Jennings at his disposal. Beyond that, the Vikings roster includes TJ Hockenson at tight end and a solid 1-2 running back duo of Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason. Murray is ranked just inside the top-20 quarterbacks as of now. Given the talent surrounding him, the upside is absolutely that of a top-10 fantasy football quarterback, if not even higher.”

Don’t Forget Injuries for Both Men

Why is Minnesota’s quarterback room so deep? Easy — the main three guys have documented and recent injury history.

Murray has missed 26% of all career starts due to injury. Hell, he played just five games in 2025. The speedy passer has two knocks on his resume: he’s not very tall, and he’s not very durable. One must assume that stature contributes to the injury history.

How about McCarthy? Well, he has a wild injury history after having no major ailments in high school or college. A clean bill of health is one thing that made his 2024 draft stock so attractive — McCarthy hardly ever got hurt.

However, he arrived in the Twin Cities and began experiencing a bizarre parade of injuries, including a torn meniscus, high ankle sprain, concussion, and broken hand. To date, McCarthy has been unavailable for about 73% of all Vikings games. Not ideal.

Finally, Wentz played five games for the Vikings last year before going down with a torn labrum. He claims to be fully healed now, but his shoulder failed him last season.

Between the three, the Vikings assume that one quarterback will stay healthy. They can’t all three get hurt and lost for the season, right?

Wentz and Brosmer Lurking

Murray as the sportsbooks’ frontrunner? Check. McCarthy as the probable QB2? Check. That leaves Wentz and second-year passer Max Brosmer as contingency plans.

Wentz played decently in five starts last year, guiding Minnesota to a 2-3 record on his watch. The offense showed more consistency with him under center than with McCarthy.

On Brosmer, he stunk as a rookie. He often played buffoonishly. Still, a quarterback isn’t defined by a couple of games in his rookie season. Like thousands before him, Brosmer still has time to develop as an NFL quarterback, probably a guy with QB2 upside.

The NFL schedule was released on Thursday night; Minnesota is hosting Green Bay in Week 1. It’ll be trial by fire for Murray against Minnesota’s main rival right away.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has explained why he decided against buying Arsenal despite years of interest in the Premier League club.

Dangote, who has supported Arsenal since the 1980s, had been linked with a takeover move for more than 10 years. His interest first became public in 2011 when he considered buying a 15.9 per cent stake in the club before it was eventually sold to American businessman Stan Kroenke.

At the time, Dangote believed the club’s valuation was too expensive and chose to step away from the deal.

Speaking in a recent interview shared by Soccernet, the Nigerian billionaire said his attention was focused on completing his major business projects, including the Lagos refinery, fertiliser plant and petrochemical company.

“I almost bought the club,” Dangote said. “But at that period, I was also handling the refinery, fertiliser and petrochemical projects.”

He explained that he had to choose between investing heavily in Arsenal or continuing to fund his industrial businesses.

“Arsenal was worth about two billion dollars then. I had to decide whether to put my money into the club or continue building my businesses,” he said.

Dangote added that he eventually decided to remain a loyal supporter instead of becoming the club owner.

“I still support Arsenal, watch their games and wear their shirt and scarf whenever they play,” he added.

The billionaire also admitted that he no longer has plans to buy the North London club because of its current value.

“It is better for me to remain a fan and continue growing my business. Today, the club is worth billions and it is no longer worth it for me,” he said.

According to Forbes, Arsenal is now valued at about $3.4 billion, making them the eighth most valuable football club in the world. Stan Kroenke remains the majority owner of the club.

Manchester City defender Marc Guehi spoke about an interesting year for him as he looks to make more FA Cup history

It’s fair to say that Marc Guehi’s glass is at least half full. Manchester City staff have been impressed by how their newest signing recovers from setbacks, believing it marks him out as a top player for a top club in the same way that it does for Gianluigi Donnarumma and Erling Haaland.

Guehi arrived from Crystal Palace and plunged himself straight into a City emergency, stabilising a team that had lost two central defenders to significant injuries in the same game and rescuing their hopes in multiple competitions. Commanding performances at Anfield and Stamford Bridge have been highlights to a promising start.

Victory at his former club Chelsea, which included a terrific goal, could have been seen as revenge for not being given a chance as a first team player after coming through the academy. There is none of that though, instead a warmness and gratitude for everyone in West London who he believes played a part in making him the footballer he is today.

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But there have also been setbacks. Guehi had to keep his cool early in his City career when Dominic Solanke kicked through his leg to score for Spurs in a damaging draw for the Blues, and then came the fatal error at Everton when he lost his focus to gift Thierno Barry a goal.

Before then, there was also the bizarre situation of the Carabao Cup. Despite the competition having made moves to stop players being cup-tied – allowing Antoine Semenyo, for instance, to feature for both Bournemouth and City – Guehi became the only ineligible player in the competition by virtue of having only completed his move after the first leg of City’s first leg against Newcastle.

Guardiola pleaded for common sense to prevail but the rules stood and City had to make do without Guehi as well as the injured Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol. Having joined City to win trophies, the 25-year-old could only sit and watch – something he hates – as his new teammates came together and won a trophy he had played any part in.

If some would naturally be disappointed, it should not surprise that Guehi has found the positive. Having found it tough to acclimatise to a different environment at City while being asked to play straight away, his enforced absence for the league cup final gave him a front row seat for exactly what is required for a City team to win trophies.

“It was great. It was great, to be honest,” he said. “It was great just to see what the guys were able to achieve against such a formidable opponent in Arsenal. And it was great to see the mentality and just learn. Learn what it takes to go on and on those trophies and in those moments.

“When you’re not in those moments often, it’s hard to understand. So taking, I guess, a backseat was probably the best thing for me and just seeing how well that did was amazing.

“I wouldn’t say it makes me hungrier. I think the hunger is always there. I don’t think it ever goes away. It just makes me appreciate the art of winning a bit more, understanding what it really takes to maintain that level and keep winning and finding new ways to win as well. So yeah, I just appreciate the craft a bit more.”

City have taken the fight for the Premier League title into the final week of the season after beating Palace and have also made it to the FA Cup final to present Guehi with a unique opportunity.

The centre-backs has had to endure a few jokes about beating City in last year’s final in controversial fashion, but could become just the fourth player in history to win the FA Cup in successive years with two different teams. Olivier Giroud managed it with Arsenal and Chelsea in 2017 and 2018, Brian Talbot with Ipswich and Chelsea in 1978 and 1979, and Arthur Kinnaird all the way back in 1878 and 1879 with Wanderers and Old Etonians.

Having also been dumped out of the competition by Macclesfield with Palace in the third round, Guehi could also benefit from the same rules that denied him in the Carabao Cup and become the first player to win the tournament after representing two teams. Needless to say, it has been a memorable year for the player..

“I feel like my football life is just crazy. There’s no, how can I say, consistency to it. It’s just very unpredictable. And it’s quite fun to be honest. But yeah, it’s very interesting. I’m glad to be given the opportunity to play in such a prestigious final again.

“And for this football club, I know how much it means to them to win trophies, especially FA Cup and the history that it has behind and also the record breaking, getting to this part of the competition again. So it’s a really big thing for the football club and I’m glad to be involved in it.”

Part of Guehi’s ‘crazy’ life has been ending up at City at the first place. He was hours away from signing for Liverpool in the final days of last summer’s transfer window, having already done a medical, when that deal collapsed and there was then no guarantee that he would move to Anfield or anywhere else in January.

City were interested in him as a free agent for this coming summer but were not expected to be first in line, yet they pounced in January when other clubs stalled and landed their man. Guehi agreed to come, despite knowing that the majority of his career at the Etihad will almost certainly not be with the best manager in the world in Guardiola.

“I just felt like it was the right timing. Right timing, right place,” he added.

“And I think since I’ve been here only a few months, I just get the feeling that I made the right decision. The people at the football club are incredible. It’s got absolutely everything I need to try and develop as a player and just help the football club go even further.

“And so I just think everything just aligned in terms of timing, in terms of what I wanted in my career and where I needed to be in my own personal life as well. So yeah, it’s just been great.

“There’s so much that we can all improve on. We’re all, I think, trying to learn from the older guys, from the guys that have been there and done it again and again and again. But yeah, definitely see the potential. Whether we go on and do it, it’s up to us. We’ve got to make that decision every day we come into training and be intentional about our work.”

Having arrived, it should come as no surprise that the centre-back is feeling upbeat about City’s chances of silverware for this season and the future. A lot has changed for Guehi since he captained Palace to victory over the Blues at Wembley a year ago, but he has not and that is why City are so pleased he is now theirs.

Left untouched, the Vikings’ roster is going to see a ton of talent venture into next year’s free agency, creating perfect conditions to welcome a boatload comp picks (maximum = four).

Indeed, a lot of the in-house talents are working with just a single year left on their deals. That’s not to say that things aren’t going to change for some of these guys. Making a final call on the new GM will presumably be what precedes some of the contract decisions that have yet to be made. Agreeing to longer contracts with some of these players will still involve a future where Minnesota could be adding a good cluster of picks.

The Vikings’ Comp Picks Tidal Wave

Begin with some very basic rules to govern the conversation. Anyone looking to go more in-depth on the mystery of comp picks can check out Over the Cap, especially Nick Korte.

A basic understanding of comp picks means recognizing that a team that loses pricey veterans in free agency without bringing in a proportionally expensive incoming free agent is set to earn a draft pick. When Minnesota lost Sam Darnold on a deal for $33.5 million annually without bringing in someone of a similar price range, the Vikings earned that 3rd (the pick used on o-lineman Caleb Tiernan).

A variety of factors can complicate that too-simple math. Cutting a player, for instance, doesn’t mean a team gets a new candidate to generate a comp pick. What needs to occur is a team seeing a veteran get to the end of his deal before departing due to free agency. The NFL moves in afterwards to compensate the team that lost the pricey veteran by kicking over a draft pick.

The current outlook has the cutoff for 2027 compensatory picks sitting a touch below $4 million per year.

Korte’s current estimation has Minnesota moving toward adding a 6th for the 2027 NFL Draft due to losing Ryan Wright ($3.5 million per year) and Jalen Nailor ($11.7 million per year). Signing James Pierre ($4.25 million per year) cancels out that possible Wright comp pick, but Nailor’s beefy deal didn’t have an offsetting deal to cancel out the added draft selection.

Jauan Jennings would have cancelled out that pick since his deal is reasonably meaty. Crucial, though, was the timing. Waiting until after the draft to sign Mr. Jennings means getting that projected 6th across the finish line, at least per the current outlook.

With all of that being said, consider players moving into a final contract year who could plausibly make enough on the open market to generate a comp pick:

• OL Blake Brandel
• LB Blake Cashman
• WR Jauan Jennings
• RB Aaron Jones
• RB Jordan Mason
• QB Kyler Murray
• RT Brian O’Neill
• LB Ivan Pace
• CB Isaiah Rodgers
• OT Ryan Van Demark
• EDGE Andrew Van Ginkel
• S Jay Ward

Consider a 2027 where the cutoff for comp picks sits at an average of $5 million. How many of the above-listed players will demand contracts meaty enough to get a comp pick on the board? The 2028 NFL Draft — an event that’s genuinely not that far off — could see two, three, or four picks added due to some of these guys going elsewhere.

The new GM, whoever that person ends up being, could opt to extend all of Brian O’Neill, Andrew Van Ginkel, Jay Ward, and maybe two or three others. Even that scenario, though, means seeing somewhere around a half dozen veterans who could be pricey enough to generate a comp pick.

Of course, the Vikings will probably be more frisky in next year’s free agency period since the current outlook has Minnesota at $56 million in cap space, albeit with only 42 contracts under consideration. Even bringing that open room down in the $30 to $40 million range will be more than enough to bring in some external talent, especially since next year’s cap saving moves haven’t yet taken place.

A tricky balance, to be sure, as Minnesota looks to thread the needle on veteran talent and assets to acquire young talent.

The Minnesota Vikings have worked through rookie minicamp. Next up are OTAs alongside mandatory minicamp. A summer break will take place before training camp gets rolling in late-July. After the GM mystery gets solved, some players will be extended ahead of being able to generate comp picks in March of 2027.

If/when these deals get done, consider who remains and what sort of possibilities the Vikings are working toward.

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