Sep 28, 2025; Dublin, Ireland; Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stands on the sidelines prior to a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers during an NFL International Series game at Croke Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
A grand takeaway from the decision to fire GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is that nailing the layups must happen. At No. 12 in 2022, the Vikings should have picked All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton instead of trading, a truth that has been discussed ad nauseam.
Are the recent QB comments from Adofo-Mensah another instance of missing a layup?
Back on January 13th, Adofo-Mensah stepped in front of the Minnesota media. Was there still an ongoing desire to have J.J. McCarthy functioning as the starting passer? Check out the answer: “I don’t know that that’s…I want the Vikings to achieve our goals. And I think one of those goals is to make playoff runs and do different things like that. I think he has the character and ability to be the person to do that for our organization; if I say that in 2026, that kind of binds us into a certain area.”
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Afterwards, Adofo-Mensah uplifted the need to create a “deep competitive room” at quarterback.
J.J. McCarthy, The Fired GM, & The QB Comments
Maybe Adofo-Mensah was a bit gun shy.
In the past, he made comments that took on a life of their own. Almost certainty, the former Vikings executive didn’t expect his quip about pursuing a “competitive rebuild” to catch fire in the manner that it did. Looking around at other things he has said (champagne problem?) could lead to similar regret about how comments get pulled out of proportion, becoming a caricature of the original meaning.
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Dec 24, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah looks on before the game against the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.
But while choosing words carefully is undoubtedly a good thing, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could have done better when answering about his desire (or lack thereof) for Mr. McCarthy to come back as the QB1.
Consider, for instance, an imaginary example of affirming belief in McCarthy without crowning McCarthy: “Yes, of course, I want McCarthy to be the starter, but that’s ultimately a decision for the coaching staff and McCarthy himself. We’ll build up a deep, competitive QB position and McCarthy will work toward proving that he deserves to remain as the starter. All of us here will ensure that he has everything he needs to succeed.”
Now that would have been a better answer.
Obviously, being able to comment on the question close to a month after it got asked is much easier than thinking on the fly. But there’s the other side of things: Adofo-Mensah was (at the time he answered) working toward the end of his fourth season as an NFL GM. He had to know going into the presser that questions about McCarthy and the QB position more broadly were coming.
Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy drops back and delivers a first-quarter throw at U.S. Bank Stadium, Jan 4, 2026, in Minneapolis against the Green Bay Packers. The snapshot captured McCarthy operating within the structure of the offense early, as Minnesota looked to establish rhythm and tempo during a high-stakes divisional matchup. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
Also notable is that the McCarthy answer — or non-answer, depending on one’s perspective — is that it came on the heels of acknowledging a failure in not being able to retain Daniel Jones.
Standing back could therefore lead to a bleak assessment.
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The Vikings were overconfident in their ability to retain Jones, contributing toward losing Jones to the Colts. Minnesota then pledged its allegiance to an unproven McCarthy. The loyalty was so strong that there was a failure to add legitimate competition. Sam Howell did get tossed into the mix, but he was never a serious threat. Carson Wentz eventually got signed, but adding a veteran journeyman in late August was no threat to the QB1 spot.
After all of that, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah couldn’t articulate a deep desire to see his No. 10 selection from 2024 continue as the starter into 2026.
Dec 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) scrambles during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
Now, that’s not to say that the former GM didn’t have a plan. In no way is that true.
The QB comments didn’t get into these particulars, but Adofo-Mensah opted to enhance the roster is such a robust way so as to lift much of the burden off McCarthy’s shoulders for 2025. Most notably, there was the aggressive spending in the trenches. Adofo-Mensah therefore had a plan. In the absence of actual QB competition, the Vikings decided to give J.J. McCarthy all of the resources he could possibly require for success.
The plan failed. The Vikings missed the playoffs. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah then got fired. Whether J.J. McCarthy is the ongoing QB1 remains to be seen. NFL free agency begins in a touch more than a month.
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Someday, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is going to get another shot in the NFL. He’ll need to handle the easy shots that come his way, such as committing toward a highly-picked passer without boxing himself into a corner.
Britain’s Sky Brown has become a skateboarding world champion for the second time after winning gold in a rain-disrupted park event in Sao Paolo, Brazil.
The 17-year-old was leading the standings with a score of 88.16 on Sunday when organisers called off the final’s third run because of rain.
Japan’s Mizuho Hasegawa took silver with 84.36, while 83.90 was enough for American Minna Stess to claim bronze.
“The level is crazy. I had to put a lot down to get here, but I am definitely bummed how we couldn’t fully do a final,” Brown told World Skate.
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“To win, to be a world champion on International Women’s Day definitely means a lot, but there are bigger things going on.
“This feels huge and I am so thankful but there are bigger things, I just pray for peace.”
A dramatic scene unfolded at a German second-division football match on Sunday when a masked fan emerged from the stands to unplug the video assistant referee (VAR) monitor, in an apparent protest against the technology.
The incident occurred as referee Felix Bickel was deciding on a penalty.
The unidentified individual, clad in white overalls and a ski mask in Muenster green, interrupted Bickel during the game between Preussen Muenster and Hertha Berlin.
Muenster later confirmed the fan came out of the stands to unplug the monitor. Television footage captured the person climbing back into the home fans’ section immediately after the act.
Despite the audacious disruption, the decision ultimately went against the home side.
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Video assistant referee Katrin Rafalski made a remote ruling, communicating her findings to Bickel. Hertha’s Fabian Reese subsequently scored the penalty, the opening goal in their 2-1 victory.
The penalty was eventually awarded and scored (Getty Images)
Preussen Muenster expressed regret, stating it would “do everything it can to identify the perpetrator or perpetrators and bring them to justice”, and added that “initial findings indicate that this was a planned action.”
A large banner displayed by home fans, reading “Pull the plug on VAR”, supported this.
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Curiously, Muenster captain Jorrit Hendrix voiced approval of the fan’s actions.
“It shows how the fans experience things and that they want to do everything to win the game,” he said in comments broadcast by TV show Sportschau.
“If they can do something to influence it, they do that. I completely understand it and think it’s a good thing.”
The incident underscores the ongoing controversy surrounding VAR in German football, where it has been a source of fan frustration due to perceived delays and an unwelcome interruption to the flow of the game since its 2017 introduction.
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Despite complaints, VAR is set to be given more power at this summer’s World Cup. The technology is set to be used to cover second yellow cards and cards awarded to the wrong team.
Manuel Akanji expressed his disappointment at Inter’s performance during their 1-0 loss against city rivals Milan on Sunday evening, and explained why last night’s defeat differed to their loss against the Rossoneri earlier this season: ‘Today was different. It wasn’t good enough from our side’.
Akanji reacts to Milan 1-0 Inter: ‘Wasn’t good enough from our side’
The Nerazzurri slipped to their second Serie A defeat against Milan of the 2025-26 season as Pervis Estupinan struck with the only goal of the game in San Siro on Sunday night.
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Cristian Chivu’s side still have a commanding seven-point lead at the top of the Serie A table with 10 league matches of the season left to play, but there is disappointment around the camp in the aftermath of Sunday’s defeat against their city rivals.
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“I think they played the way we expected them to play. They try to press a bit up front, if it doesn’t work, they drop deep and that’s what they did, especially in the first half,” explained Akanji in his post-match interview with CBS Sports.
“We had a lot of missed passes or duels that we lost, or we gave them opportunities by losing the ball easily. And also we didn’t defend well in a couple of situations and that’s why we lost the game in the end.”
Inter will make it two Serie A titles in three years if they hold out for the Scudetto in 2025-26. They have also reached the Champions League final in two of the last four seasons and have won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italia twice within the last five campaigns.
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If there is a recurring complaint about Cristian Chivu’s side, though, it is that they have struggled to overcome ‘bigger’ sides in the league and Champions League this term. The Nerazzurri have also failed to beat Milan in any of their last seven encounters.
“I mean, I’ve only played in the last two, today and the one in the first part of the season and for me, they were totally different games,” said Akanji.
MILAN, ITALY – MARCH 08: Rafael Leao of AC Milan competes for the ball with Manuel Akanji of Inter during the Serie A match between AC Milan and FC Internazionale at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on March 08, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
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“The first one we dominated them, we had so many chances to score goals, we even missed a penalty. So, we clearly had enough chances to win the game. They had one opportunity and they scored the goal, that’s why they won the game.
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“Today was different. It wasn’t good enough from our side. A lot of lost duels, a lot of balls that we should have kept that we lost. Just way too many mistakes and also sometimes in the duels, we weren’t aggressive enough and that’s why we lost today.
“I think as a team we didn’t create enough opportunities up front. We tried to cross the ball, but nothing really happened, not off the crosses. But still we had good opportunities to score a goal.
“I think right before they scored the goal for 1-0, Mkhi (Henrikh Mkhitaryan) runs alone at the keeper and couldn’t score. And even in the second half when Mkhi laid it off to Dima (Federico Dimarco) to score a goal and I think there were also a couple of opportunities with the corner that we had that the referee apparently blew the whistle before. Then a couple of situations where it maybe could have been a penalty.
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“So we tried to create something but I think it just wasn’t enough from our side today.”
MILAN, ITALY – MARCH 08: Referee Daniele Doveri at the end of the Serie A match between AC Milan and Inter after AC Milan 1-0 Inter at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on March 08, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Naturally disappointed by Sunday’s defeat against Milan, Akanji insists that he is still trying to look at the positives.
“The next few days are not going to be good. You’re never happy when you lose a derby. The good thing is that we’re still seven points ahead and we have enough time to recover. The next game is not until next Saturday at home against Atalanta, which is a big game, but we will be ready again.
“We need to make better what we didn’t do good today and I’m confident we can get the win there.”
The New York Knicks and the LA Clippers will lock horns at the Intuit Dome on Monday, with tipoff scheduled for 10:00 p.m. ET. This will mark their second and final meeting of the season, with the Knicks securing a 123-111 win in the previous matchup.
However, New York enters the game after a 110-97 loss to the LA Lakers at Crypto.com Arena and will be playing on back-to-back nights. The Clippers, meanwhile, come in with momentum after a 123-120 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday at the FedEx Forum.
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New York Knicks vs LA Clippers Preview, Starting Lineups Tonight, Betting Tips and Game Prediction
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New York Knicks vs LA Clippers Betting Tips and Odds
Moneyline: Knicks (-135), Clippers (+114)
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Spread: Knicks -2.5 (-105), Clippers +2.5 (-115)
Total over/under o/u: Knicks o220.5 (-110), Clippers u220.5 (-110)
Editor’s note: Odds might change closer to tipoff.
Betting Tips
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Kawhi Leonard is expected to score over 26.5 points.
Jalen Brunson is projected to combine for over 28.5 points and rebounds.
Darius Garland is expected to make over 1.5 3-pointers.
New York Knicks vs LA Clippers Preview
The New York Knicks had a rare off night offensively on Sunday, finishing with just two players in double figures. Mikal Bridges and Jose Alvarado were both held scoreless, while Jalen Brunson led the backcourt with 24 points.
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Karl-Anthony Towns led the way with a strong double-double of 25 points and 16 rebounds, while his frontcourt partner, OG Anunoby, added 16 points. Josh Hart, meanwhile, also struggled, recording just eight.
The Clippers pulled off an impressive comeback against the Memphis Grizzlies. After trailing by 18 points in the first quarter, LA outscored Memphis over the remaining periods to secure the win.
Kawhi Leonard led the team with 28 points, while Darius Garland added 21. Bennedict Mathurin matched Garland’s total off the bench. Despite three players finishing scoreless, the trio’s 20+ point performances were enough to power the Clippers to victory.
New York Knicks vs LA Clippers Starting Lineups Tonight
PG- Darius Garland, SG- Kris Dunn, SF- Kawhi Leonard, PF- Derrick Jones Jr., C- Brook Lopez
New York Knicks vs LA Clippers Prediction
The LA Clippers have been better at home and will fancy their chances against the New York Knicks on Monday. However, the Knicks have not lost back-to-back games since January and will likely pull off a win at the Intuit Dome.
Jannik Sinner follows through in his win over Denis Shapovalov during their round 3 match at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., March 8, 2026.
World No. 2 Jannik Sinner took another step in his quest for his first title at Indian Wells, dominating Canada’s Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 6-2 in 73 minutes on Sunday at the BNP Paribas Open.
The Italian advanced to the California event’s fourth round for the fifth time in as many appearances. He made the semifinals in 2023 and 2024 but lost to Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, the current No. 1.
Sinner, the second seed, is 2-1 head-to-head against Shapovalov, ranked No. 39 in the world.
“Denis is a high quality-player, as we know,” Sinner said. “He’s an in-form player, so I’m very happy with my performance. I tried to stay solid at the baseline, but also a bit more aggressive in the second set, which helped me. It was a tough start for me, but I’m happy with how I reacted.”
Sinner converted 4 of 8 on break-point opportunities, to 1 of 1 for Shapovalov, who had more unforced errors (25-11) and double faults (7-2). Sinner had the edge in aces (6-2) and won 85% of his first serves (28 of 33), to 62% (21 of 34) for his opponent.
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While Sinner cruised on Sunday, World No. 8 Ben Shelton was upset by fellow American and left-hander Learner Tien 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-3 in 2 hours, nine minutes in their Round-of-32 match.
The 25th-seeded Tien, making the fourth round at Indian Wells for the first time, is now 2-0 at this ATP Tour level against Shelton and acknowledged that his opponent has been battling through an illness.
“I just want to say, Ben came out not feeling 100%,” Tien said. “I don’t think he’s been feeling great all week, but he’s an amazing competitor and he came out and gave it his all. So I just want to say, huge props to him.”
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Tien, 20, is from Irvine, Calif., and attended matches at this event over several years as a child growing up in Southern California. He called it “really a full-circle moment.”
He actually out-aced the hard-serving Shelton, 15-8. That power came with more double faults (10-3), but Tien also had more winners (40-34) as neither player was able to break serve more than once during the match.
Another upset came from unseeded Brazilian Joao Fonseca, age 19, eliminated American Tommy Paul, the 23rd seed, 6-2, 6-3. Czech Jakub Mensik, the 12th seed, fell to 18th-seeded Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.
Germany’s Alexander Zverev, the fourth seed, avoided an upset by outlasting 28th-seeded Brandon Nakashima of the United States 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-4.
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No. 9 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime won an All-Canadian battle with Gabriel Diallo 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3. American Frances Tiafoe, seeded 21st, got the better of Italian Flavio Cobolli, the 15th seed, 6-1, 6-2.
Fabio Wardley had hoped to face Oleksandr Usyk in 2026, but Ukraine’s unified heavyweight ruler has instead proceeded with a left-field fight with Dutch kickboxer, Rico Verhoeven.
However, Usyk responded by vacating the WBO world title – with Wardley being elevated to world champion as a result – and was linked to a return to fighting across the pond in possible meetings against either Deontay Wilder or Andy Ruiz Jr.
Speaking to Boxing News, Wardley admitted that he found the news ‘underwhelming’, declaring that he hopes Usyk will soon return to ‘actual’ professional boxing.
“I think it [my reaction] was the same as the rest of the boxing world, it [the announcement] was quite underwhelming. I understand that he has earned the right to do what he wants but I at least expected it to be [against] an active boxer.
“I don’t actually know much about Verhoeven in terms of what his quality level is, but I expected it [the fight] to be against a decent calibre professional boxer, but if it’s not, fine, do your thing.
“Hopefully he returns to actual professional boxing, against some of the top elites.”
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Usyk-Verhoeven will take place at the Pyramids of Giza on Saturday, May 23, as Verhoeven has the chance to become the fastest heavyweight world champion in boxing history.
YMCA member Austin Manengu works the keyboard as he plays a game of Fortnite during the unveiling of the new gaming lab at the Maplewood Family YMCA in Rochester Thursday, June 20, 2024. YMCA of Greater Rochester in partnership with Metro Sports & Entertainment Group will open two gaming labs for youth and teens this year.
Team Liquid, Team Spirit, HEROIC and PARIVISION remained unblemished with victories on Sunday in group stage play of PGL Wallachia Season 7 in Bucharest, Romania.
Xtreme Gaming, BetBoom Team, Tundra Esports and Team Yandex registered their first wins on the second day of competition.
The $1 million Dota 2 tournament features a group stage from Saturday through Wednesday with 16 teams playing a modified Swiss system format. All matches are best-of-three. The top eight teams advance to the playoffs, and the bottom eight are eliminated.
The playoffs run from March 12-15 in a double-elimination bracket. All matches are best-of-three until the grand final, which is best-of-five.
First place is worth $300,000, with $175,000 for second place and $120,000 for third.
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On Sunday, Team Liquid swept Vici Gaming, winning in 49 minutes and 39 minutes, both on red.
PARIVISION took care of Natus Vincere, winning in 71 minutes on green and 43 minutes on red.
HEROIC stayed unbeaten by downing Aurora Gaming. HEROIC opened with a 51-minute win on red, then Aurora drew even in 36 minutes on green. HEROIC won the final game in 50 minutes on red.
Team Spirit also improved to 2-0 by defeating Team Falcons. Spirit won in 47 minutes on red, then Falcons triumphed in 50 minutes before Spirit emerged with a 41-minute victory on red.
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Among teams seeking their first win in the opening two days, BetBoom Team swept OG, winning in 45 and 57 minutes, both on red.
Tundra Esports improved to 1-1 by sweeping Yellow Submarine with wins in 36 and 50 minutes, both on red.
Xtreme Gaming won the first game against Team Nemesis in 45 minutes on green, then Nemesis evened the match with a marathon 69-minute win on green before Xtreme Gaming clinched it in 65 minutes on red.
Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders gave an emotional eulogy at the funeral of his sophomore quarterback Dominiq Ponder, who died in a tragic car crash this past week. Ponder was 23.
Sanders went up to the microphone after Ponder’s family, saying it “didn’t feel right” to do so, but he couldn’t help feeling “inspired” by their words.
Then, Sanders, a spiritual man in his own right, began to speak.
Bethune-Cookman QB Dominiq Ponder takes a snap during the Wildcats’ spring game Saturday, April 22, 2023, at Daytona Stadium.(IMAGN)
“We always ask questions about why this happened … ’God, why this and why that?’” Sanders said.
“When we’re successful, we’re excelling, and overcoming adversity, we never ask God, ‘Why?’ then. Only in our demise and sadness of life, we challenge and ask God,’ Why?’ I think I’ve got the solution.”
Sanders, then, started to speak about his former signal caller.
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“As I look right there, and look at a young man so full of life – so full of respect, bustle, hard work, and integrity. I ask God, ‘For real?’ And he whispered: ‘Dom was chosen.’
“Dom was chosen to unite y’all, to bring you all together. Dom was chosen.”
“Coach Prime” directed part of his eulogy to Ponder’s parents, which led to him getting understandably choked up at the podium.
“The only darn thing I have regret for is that when you sent us a boy. I wanted to send you back a man,” Sanders said, taking a pause to try and control his emotions.
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Ponder had been a walk-on quarterback with the Buffaloes in Sanders’ first season, as he tried to configure his team. He already had his son, Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, set to start for Colorado after their success at Jackson State. But Ponder and others in the quarterback room were looking to work and develop under the elder Sanders’ tutelage.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his players warm up before an NCAA college football game against Utah, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Salt Lake City, Utah. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)
Ponder saw appearances in two of the Buffaloes’ games last season.
But while Sanders has a regret about Ponder, his parents gave him praise, issuing a statement thanking “Coach Prime” for his “unwavering generosity, support, and love shown to our family.” They also thanked everyone for their “heartfelt gratitude” in a separate statement.
Sanders called an emergency meeting with his Buffaloes roster after learning of Ponder’s death, and a raw scene shared on social media showed him comforting emotional players. Sanders himself was emotional while delivering a speech to his team.
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“His character, humor, work ethic, and tenacity. It’s something that I want us to remember,” he said in the clip.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his team warm up before an NCAA college football game against TCU Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas.(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Sanders also confirmed Ponder’s death last Sunday with a social media post.
“God please comfort the Ponder family, friends and loved ones,” Sanders wrote on social media. “Dom was one of my favorites! He was Loved, Respected & a Born Leader. Let’s pray for all that knew him & had the opportunity to be in his presence. Lord you’re receiving a good 1. Comfort us Lord Comfort us.”
After months of uncertainty, it seems as though Devin Haney will collide with Rolando Romero. As speculation builds, two-division champion Tim Bradley has offered his prediction for the fight, where he believes a stoppage may occur.
Having become the undisputed lightweight world champion with a victory over George Kambosos Jr, Haney defended the 135lb throne in a rematch with the Aussie and then against Vasyl Lomachenko to thrust himself up the pound-for-pound rankings.
Now, Haney is being linked to a unification with WBA titleholder Romero, and Tim Bradley told his YouTube channel that he believes Haney could secure a first stoppage win since 2019 if he and ‘Rolly’ collide.
“[Haney] put [Brian] Norman’s a** on the ground, he put [Regis] Prograis’ a** on the ground. I don’t see why he can’t put Romero’s a** on the ground, if he hits him at the right spot at the right time. With his timing, yeah, he can put his a** on the canvas too.
“I even see, if Devin can get control early or at the midpoint, I even see that Devin could stop Romero on the back end. There is spots where you can pressure Romero.
“You put him on the back foot, because he ain’t got a whole lot of amateur experience, right, so I still see a little bit of fluster in his game when you start to put that pressure on him.”
