Next weekend, Rolando Romero makes a first defence of his WBA welterweight world title as he takes on Teofimo Lopez in an intriguing all-American clash in Las Vegas. Now, former unified champion of the division Keith Thurman has shared his thoughts on the fight.

Romero has been inconsistent in his career, losing by knockout to both Gervonta Davis and Isaac Cruz but also showing elite power and disciplined performances, becoming a two-division world champion and boasting a win over Ryan Garcia in his most recent outing, 15 months ago.

Meanwhile, Lopez has proved that he is capable of beating the very best in the world, capturing world honours at both lightweight and super-lightweight with legendary wins over Vasiliy Lomachenko and Josh Taylor, respectively.

Now, after losing his super-lightweight crown to Shakur Stevenson at the beginning of the year, Lopez is stepping up to welterweight, hoping to become a three-division world champion.

Speaking to Fight Hub TV, Thurman declared his belief that Lopez will bounce back and dethrone Romero. 

“Rolly is interesting because he is somebody who is tough, but he is definitely a beatable character. He is definitely beatable, he comes at you in spurts, he has had some good says and he has had some bad days in that ring on fight night.

“I am more interested in what kind of Rolly we are going to see and how eager Teo is to make a statement at 147lbs. I favour Teo though, I think that he has what it takes.

“I think he has what it takes to move up and I think that this is a good match-up for him.”

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Romero-Lopez takes place at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, August 22, and will be available to watch live on DAZN pay-per-view.

Romell Glave declared “total domination” for Great Britain after leading team-mate Jeremiah Azu to a sensational European 100m one-two for the hosts, 24 hours after Amy Hunt’s triumph in the women’s event.

Glave made an international podium for the first time by winning 100m bronze at these championships in Rome two years ago, but the 26-year-old upgraded to gold with a dominant victory in 10.09 seconds in Birmingham.

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Raising a finger to the sky in celebration, he became the sixth British man to win the European 100m title – and third in the past six editions after Zharnel Hughes (2018) and James Dasaolu (2014).

Azu, the world and European champion over 60m indoors in 2025, improved on his 2022 bronze as he followed his team-mate over the line in 10.16 to the delight of the home crowd at Alexander Stadium.

German Owen Ansah completed the podium after Italy’s two-time defending champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs pulled up with an injury at halfway.

Three British men had qualified for the final, but Louie Hinchliffe did not contest the medal race.

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“Upgrading from a bronze medal from 2024 is an amazing feeling,” Glave told BBC Sport.

“The aim was to get [British] one, two, and three, but we got one-two, which is also amazing.

“I was ready for this occasion. The last week or so has been up and down with my body, but I was able to come out here regardless of how I was feeling.

On Great Britain’s 100m performances, he added: “It is domination. Total domination.”

Glave has made significant progress this season, breaking the 10-second barrier for the first time in legal conditions to win his first British title in June.

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He has run sub-10 on six separate occasions, in all conditions, this season – including when he defeated the in-form Jacobs, a surprise Olympic champion five years ago, on his home turf in Italy.

That confidence was evident as Glave dominated his semi-final earlier in the evening, and he executed to perfection when it mattered most.

A talented junior, Glave was the fastest 17-year-old in the world in 2017 after he recorded a time of 10.21.

His progress has been disrupted by injury setbacks since, including a fracture in his back.

But, able to remain consistent with his training this year, Glave captured the gold medal he believed he was capable of winning two years ago.

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The foundations of Glave’s recent progress has come from a focus on sharpening the first 40 metres of his race.

After hitting the front by the 30-metre mark, he never looked back – and continued running far beyond the finish line in celebration.

After a golden 2025 season, Azu had finished fourth and fifth respectively at this year’s World Indoor Championships and Commonwealth Games, with a season’s best of 10.00 in Glasgow two weeks ago not proving to be enough.

While it was not gold in Birmingham, the 25-year-old was delighted to secure his return to an international podium following what he described as a “tough year”.

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“The most irregular [season] in terms of races, quite inconsistent,” Azu said.

“When it comes to championships, I know I find my best. We always say times are irrelevant at this point. You want to go out there and race for medals.

“I want to put in my best performance in the final and I felt like I did that today. You always want to be on the podium. In the 100m there are over 100 guys that are competitive, so it is always tough.”

There was a fifth-place finish for Hannah Nuttall in the women’s 5,000m, as Italy’s Nadia Battocletti retained her title.

Matthew Hudson-Smith, who has a stand named after him at the stadium where he trained as a junior for the duration of the championships, qualified for Wednesday’s men’s 400m final – although he had to settle for second place in his heat.

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“I misjudged it a little bit. I thought I was clear,” Hudson-Smith said.

“I was looking at the screen and I saw the guy try and surge. But he ran a PB, so he’s messed up with the final ahead.”

Elsewhere, Nadine Visser clinched the women’s 100m hurdles by one thousandth of a second, with a photo finish required to separate the Dutch athlete and Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska.

First Published: Aug 11 2026 | 10:42 AM IST

Justin Arana (No. 15) reaches for the rebound. —PBA IMAGES

ANTIPOLO—Converge won a game for the first time in over three weeks, not only restoring lost confidence but also keeping its grip on one of the four quarterfinal berths in Group A of the PBA Governors’ Cup.

“This team went through a really rough stretch,” coach Delta Pineda said in Filipino after the FiberXers snapped a four-game skid with a 120-103 rout of the Terrafirma Dyip on Tuesday at the Ynares Center here.

The victory enabled Converge to regain solo hold of the fourth spot at 4-4 while sending Terrafirma down to 3-5. It was also the first win of the FiberXers since thrashing the guest team Macau Giant Pandas by 25 points before their downward spiral began.

Losses at the hands of San Miguel Beer, TNT, NLEX, and again to San Miguel in succession prompted frustration and multiple import changes, from original choice Jalen Hudson to returning Jamaal Franklin to another former import in Cameron Clark.

Clark made his debut against the Dyip, posting 22 points, five rebounds, three steals and two blocks, and the FiberXers are hoping that he turns out to be the right mix.

Pineda also hopes that a recent team meeting to delve into what has gone wrong would translate into something positive.

“The morale of the team was really low because of the string of losses,” Pineda said. “That’s why we had a heart-to-heart talk after our recent loss [against San Miguel] to discuss the things that we need to change, what we need to adjust or if the players are playing for the team or for their individual statistics.

“We agreed that we consider the team as like our family and they need to sacrifice for their team, their family,” he added.

Terrafirma lost a game it sorely needed to win after tying Converge last week by handing NLEX its first loss.

But the Dyip never got themselves in the groove right from the beginning, with Calvin Abueva and surprise starter Jaydee Tungcab leading the charge for the FiberXers.

Terrafirma import Justin Strings had 28 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals, but figured in an ugly postgame incident where he tried to confront either Abueva or Alec Stockton after the game, as witnessed by several fans.

Those who saw the incident also said that Strings even rushed towards the FiberXers dugout through the backdoor, only to be stopped by cooler heads from both teams and from the PBA staff.

Meanwhile, action continues Wednesday in this city, with San Miguel favored to dominate Titan Ultra in the opener at 5:15 p.m. while Group B coleader Phoenix faces streaking Magnolia at 7:30 p.m.

San Miguel was coming off a 52-point rout of Macau in Rodriguez, Rizal, to go 6-2 in Group A, while Titan Ultra got clobbered by 34 on the same day by TNT.

Phoenix, on the other hand, looks to get its bearings before the break after being handed a loss by Blackwater to fall in a tie with Rain or Shine at 4-2, even as Magnolia, with a 3-3 slate, goes for a third consecutive triumph. INQ

In less than two years’ time, J.J. McCarthy has gone from a celebrated Michigan Man to a man that just lost his job. On Tuesday, the Vikings announced that Kyler Murray won his position battle against McCarthy and will be Minnesota’s starting quarterback. 

The announcement is the latest in a series of setbacks for McCarthy since he helped lead Michigan to the school’s first national title since 1997. The 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, McCarthy has made just 10 starts for the Vikings, and while he did manage to win six of those starts, it clearly wasn’t enough to convince Kevin O’Connell that he is the right person to lead Minnesota’s offense moving forward. 

Only 23, McCarthy’s NFL career already seemingly appears to be on life support. It’s worth revisiting how things got to this point so quickly for a player who — despite his turbulent start — still has plenty of time to turn things around, whether it’s in Minnesota or somewhere else. 

Michigan’s title run tainted by sign-stealing scandal 

Michigan’s championship season was scrutinized before, during and after the Wolverines captured the national title. In August 2025, the NCAA imposed significant punishments on Michigan stemming from a sign-stealing scandal that began prior to the team’s championship run in 2023. 

At this point, it’s no longer a debate as to whether or not Michigan crossed the line during that time and received a considerable advantage over its opponents. The question remains how big of an advantage did it give the Wolverines and their players, McCarthy included. 

Regarding McCarthy, it’s fair to wonder how much his play was aided by the scandal and the advantages it gave him and his teammates. His current struggles, fairly or not, would suggest that Michigan’s hidden advantage back then helped him considerably. 

At the time, however, the scandal didn’t deter the Vikings from selecting McCarthy with the 10th overall pick. Looking back, it’s clear that the Vikings were comfortable with McCarthy’s body of work at Michigan that included a 28-1 record during his final two seasons as the school’s starting quarterback. 

Season-ending injury 

McCarthy was slated to spend his rookie season in 2024 as Sam Darnold’s backup. That plan quickly fell through, however, after it was announced following the Vikings’ preseason opener that McCarthy had torn his meniscus. His rookie season ended nearly as fast as it started. 

Instead of using his rookie season getting live reps during the preseason and practice reps during the regular season, McCarthy spent it rehabbing his injury. It’s safe to say that the injury significantly hampered his growth as an NFL quarterback. 

Darnold, however, ran with his opportunity to lead Minnesota’s offense. He helped the Vikings post a 14-3 record before signing a multiyear deal with the Seahawks after Minnesota let him test the open market. Part of the reason why the Vikings let Darnold walk was the belief they had in McCarthy. 

A year after leaving Minnesota, Darnold hoisted the Lombardi Trophy after helping the Seahawks win their second Super Bowl. 

Success followed by more injuries 

Healthy, McCarthy entered the 2025 season as the Vikings’ starting quarterback. He won his first career start in dramatic and historic fashion. In leading the visiting Vikings to a come-from-behind win over the Bears on Monday night, McCarthy was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week. His performance included becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to score three fourth-quarter touchdowns in his NFL debut. 

In leading the Vikings from an 11-point, fourth-quarter deficit, McCarthy went 13 of 20 for 143 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He also ran for a score.   

McCarthy’s meteoric rise wouldn’t last long, however. The following week, the Vikings were held to just six points in a home loss to the Atlanta Falcons with McCarthy throwing for just 158 yards and tossing a pair of picks. After the game, it was announced that McCarthy had suffered a high ankle sprain. The injury would sideline him for the Vikings’ next five games. 

McCarty returned for the Vikings’ Week 9 game against the Detroit Lions, and the outcome was eerily similar to Week 1. McCarthy again threw for 143 yards with two touchdowns and an interception to go with a rushing score helping lead Minnesota to a close win. He struggled during the next three games, however, as the Vikings lost each game while scoring a combined 42 points. Following the Vikings’ third straight loss (a 23-6 loss to the Green Bay Packers that saw McCarthy throw for just 87 yards and two interception), it was announced that McCarthy had sustained a concussion that would sideline him for Minnesota’s Week 13 loss to the Seahawks. 

McCarthy returned the following week and had two of his best performances of the season. He threw a season-high three touchdowns during the team’s 31-0 win over the Washington Commanders. In Week 15, he threw for a season-high 250 yards with two touchdowns and an interception during the Minnesota’s 34-26 win over the Cowboys in Dallas. 

The injury bug hit again, however, during the Vikings’ eventual Week 16 win over the Giants when McCarthy suffered a hairline fracture in his throwing hand that led to him not playing in Minnesota’s Week 17 win over the Lions. McCarthy returned for Week 18 and threw for 182 yards in Minnesota’s season-ending win over the Packers. 

McCarthy’s rookie season was truly a rollercoaster that clearly cast doubt in the Vikings’ brain trust about his ability to lead the offense moving forward. While he did win more of his starts than he lost, McCarthy threw more interceptions (12) than touchdown passes (11). He also completed just 57.6% of his passes. 

Injuries undoubtedly factored into McCarthy’s struggles last season while opening the door for the team to bring in some competition during the offseason. 

Vikings name Kyler Murray starter: Why it was the right move and why Minnesota might need a new QB in 2027

Garrett Podell

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Murray comes to Minnesota 

Minnesota acted quickly in terms of bringing in quarterback competition. On March 12, shortly after free agency had started, the Vikings acquired Murray less than two weeks after he was released by the Arizona Cardinals. 

Murray’s arrival presented a stiff challenge for McCarthy. While he had his share of ups and downs in Arizona that also included some notable injuries, Murray was nonetheless a two-time Pro Bowler who had largely played well for the Cardinals when he was healthy. During his seven seasons in Arizona, Murray completed an impressive 67.1% of his passes with more than twice as many touchdowns (121) than interceptions (60). He also ran for 32 scores while averaging a whopping 6 yards per carry. 

It goes without saying that Murray wasn’t always set up for success in Arizona. In Minnesota, he entered a pretty ideal situation in terms of playing for a quarterback whisperer in O’Connell and having arguably the NFL’s best receiver to throw to in Justin Jefferson. The general consensus was that Murray would beat out McCarthy if he is able to take advantage of his new situation. That’s ultimately what happened. 

A new situation 

Early on, it was clear that something was off with McCarthy and Murray. That became clear when both quarterbacks offered far different assessments of their partnership. McCarthy’s comments made it apparent that he looked at Murray as competition and not as a mentor. 

McCarthy’s mindset was understandable then as he was in the middle of a competition. But now that the competition is over, it’ll be interesting to see how McCarthy handles his new situation. Rest assured that his handling of 2026 will have an impact on how things go for him in 2027 and beyond. 

File photo of Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma© AFP

Romell Glave sealed a 100m double for Great Britain at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham as he followed up Amy Hunt’s success by storming to gold ahead of team-mate Jeremiah Azu.

Glave crossed the finish in 10.09 seconds, seven hundredths of a second faster than Welshman Azu, and Germany’s Owen Ansah took bronze.

The 26-year-old entered the race as British champion, a title he won on the same track in June, and executed a brilliant race to become king of the continent.

His victory came 24 hours after Hunt stormed through the field to seal a first senior title.

Glave hailed Great Britain’s 100m display in Birmingham, telling the BBC: “It is domination. Total domination.”

A potential British clean-sweep of the podium was not possible after Louie Hinchliffe was forced to withdraw from the final due to an injury sustained during the semi-finals.

Former Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs was the big name on the start line for the final but the Italian – plagued by injuries since his success in Tokyo – limped over the line in seventh.

That cleared the way for a British showdown and Glave was a dominant winner.

“It is an amazing feeling,” Glave added. “Just the work I put in to come here and execute my race. We have been working on my start, and I was able to execute that today.

“Upgrading from a bronze medal from 2024 is an amazing feeling.”

Earlier, local favourite Matthew Hudson-Smith made it through to Wednesday night’s 400m final, but perhaps not in the dominant fashion the home favourite would have hoped for.

There were concerns the Olympic silver medallist might have sustained an injury after finishing second in his semi-final, where he appeared to grimace, but he later confirmed he had simply “misjudged” the race.

“It was fun. We had fun,” Hudson-Smith said. “I misjudged it a little bit. I thought I was clear. I was looking at the board and I saw the guy try and surge, but he ran a PB so he’s messed up with the final ahead.

“I kind of did the job. I felt the noise of the fans the whole way round.”

Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Sporting Club Delhi stormed into the quarterfinals of the 135th Durand Cup with commanding wins over their respective opponents on Monday.

In Kolkata, MBSG thrashed CISF Protectors 6-0 in a Group A match to make it to the last-eight stage.

Sahal Abdul Samad was the star of the show, scoring a first-half hat-trick (17th, 19th, 37th), while Manvir Singh (24th), Jamie Maclaren (68th) and Tekcham Abhishek Singh (73rd) also found the scoresheet.

The victory saw Mohun Bagan finish top of Group A with a perfect nine points, while CISF Protectors exited the tournament without a point.

In Ranchi, SC Delhi outclassed Indian Air Force 7-1 to reach the knockout stage from Group C.

Already assured of a quarterfinal berth after winning their opening two games, Mohun Bagan showed their attacking intent from the outset, although the CISF defence held firm during the opening exchanges.

The resistance ended when Dejan Drazic released Tekcham with a superb pass from inside his own half.

His effort took a deflection and fell to Liston Colaco, who squared for Sahal to finish.

Sahal doubled the advantage moments later, tapping home after Manvir Singh released Drazic on the right before the Serbian picked him out with a neat cross. 

Manvir then made it 3-0, controlling Tekcham’s inviting cross before calmly finding the net.

Sahal completed his hat-trick in spectacular fashion, picking up possession near halfway, gliding past several defenders and slotting a composed right-footed finish into the net.

Mohun Bagan dominated the first half with 75 per cent possession and went into the interval four goals ahead.

Coach Panagiotis Dilimperis made four changes at the break, but the Mariners continued to dictate proceedings. Manvir and Colaco came close before Mohun Bagan eventually added a fifth.

Sahal produced a sublime no-look through ball to release substitute Maclaren, who kept his composure to slot the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs.

Tekcham completed the rout, finishing into the roof of the net after combining with Liston.

CISF threatened late on through Gaurab Das and Gurpal Singh, but Mohun Bagan goalkeeper Syed Zahid Hussain stood firm.

In Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Stadium, the goal-scorers for SC Delhi were Rodriguinho (11th), Juan Sebastian Pena (39th, 65th), Duvan Mina (55th), Lalrinliana Hnamte (63rd), Clarence Savio Fernandes (79th) and Richard Ndayishimiye (90+4).

Samuel K Vanlalpeka (50th) was the lone scorer for Indian Air Force.

The victory saw SC Delhi complete their group-stage campaign with a perfect record of three wins from three matches and nine points.

Indian Air Force remained third in the group with three points from two matches and will face Jamshedpur FC in their final group fixture on August 13.

Heading into the stretch run, the Milwaukee Brewers appear to be poised for a fourth consecutive NL Central title based on having the best overall record in the majors, but an inexperienced rotation and rugged schedule raise questions.

And that doesn’t count the looming postseason specter of the free-spending Los Angeles Dodgers, who swept the Brewers in the National League Championship Series last season.

The Brewers headed into a six-game West Coast road swing this week against the Padres and Dodgers atop the NL Central and the best overall record in the majors.

Milwaukee lost at San Diego 3-2 on Monday in the opener of a three-game series, trimming its division lead to five games over the Cubs and 1 ½ games better than Tampa Bay for the best overall record. The Dodgers, despite losing eight of their last 10, lead the NL West by 7 ½ games and are four games back for the best overall record.

But at the trade deadline, the Dodgers pried two-time AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal away from Detroit. The Brewers, although reportedly in talks for Skubal, then switched gears and acquired veteran right-hander Dustin May from the Cardinals to bolster a young, inexperienced rotation.

The Brewers rotation is led by hard-throwing Jacob Misiorowski (11-5, 1.76 ERA), who leads the majors with 204 strikeouts in 133 innings. His ERA is the lowest in the majors among qualified pitchers.

Along with the addition of May, the Brewers rotation received a boost with the return of left-hander Kyle Harrison from the injured list.

After almost a month on the injured list with left forearm tightness, Harrison (9-2, 2.84 ERA) returned last week to toss five innings of one-hit ball to get the win in a 4-2 victory over Pittsburgh, striking out 10, including the final eight batters he faced, before leaving with cramping in both legs.

Behind those three, the Brewers six-man rotation includes Logan Henderson, rookie Shane Drohan, and Robert Gasser, who have a combined 39 big league starts. Rookie Brandon Sproat, who was inconsistent in 19 starts, was sent down after May was acquired.

“I call them rookies, maybe Harrison’s not technically a rookie, but think of the non-established starting pitchers that we’re going with,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “It’s been amazing.”

The 28-year-old May, who was 5-7 with a 4.38 ERA in 21 starts for St. Louis, won his Brewers debut, allowing two runs on three hits in six innings in a 5-2 win over the Pirates last week.

“It’s not as sharp as he can be, but he made the big pitches,” Murphy said following May’s debut. “It’s just beautiful to have that experience out there.”

Behind the starters, the Brewers back end of the bullpen has settled in with versatile Aaron Ashby (13-2), 94 strikeouts in 65 2/3 innings; Abner Uribe, who has 18 holds along with six saves; and closer Trevor Megill, who has rebounded from a slow start for 21 saves in 23 opportunities.

Chad Patrick and DL Hall, both former starters, provide effective and flexible middle-inning relief, and the Brewers acquired veteran reliever Antonio Senzatela (9-3) from the Rockies at the deadline.

“They’re the best record in baseball for a reason,” Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers said during the recent weekend series in Milwaukee, where the Brewers won the last two games 4-3, including a 10-inning walk-off Sunday. “They pitch the ball really well. Every guy they roll out of the bullpen is a good, unique arm. Their team taking a lead, or they’re close, you’re going to have a hard time scoring.”

Ashby, Uribe, Megill and Hall all pitched in relief of Misiorowski in Sunday’s win. Uribe entered Monday unscored upon his last 21 games, and Megill was unscored upon in 22 of his last 23 outings.

The Brewers lead the National League in team ERA at 3.47, are second in strikeouts, and tied for first with the Dodgers in opponents batting average at .219.

Offensively, the Brewers are last in the majors home runs. But Milwaukee is fifth in the NL in runs scored, second in doubles, second in walks, and fourth in stolen bases.

To win the division, the Brewers will have to win within the division with 18 of their 24 games in September against NL Central opponents, including six games against the Cubs.

The Brewers, who are 22-11 this season against division opponents, are 4-2 against the Cubs and 1-2 against the Dodgers.

Last season, the Brewers held off the Cubs in five games in the NLDS, winning the decisive fifth game 3-1 in a bullpen game started by Megill, followed by Misiorowski, who got the win with by allowing one run in four innings. Ashby, Patrick and Uribe preserved the first postseason series win since 2018.

The Brewers, who have qualified for the postseason seven of the last eight years, also had the best regular season record last season, which counted for little in the NLCS against the Dodgers.

There’s still a long way to go and even if the Brewers can hold off the Cubs, Tarik Skubal will be wearing Dodger blue in the postseason.