Jan 23, 2011; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; General view of the line of scrimmage during the AFC Championship game between the New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports
The Minnesota Vikings are in the market for a new quarterback in the 2026 offseason, either pairing with J.J. McCarthy for a summer training camp battle, to replace him, or support him as a backup. While their current strategy is unknown, all signs point to Kyler Murray as a likely candidate. The problem? Minnesota may have to battle two other squads for his services: the New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Minnesota’s path hinges on how fast Arizona acts and whether the Jets or Steelers push the price up.
The Cardinals appear to be on the brink of divorce from Murray, and he’ll have suitors.
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The Kyler Murray Sweepstakes Feels Like a Three-Horse Race
Three teams make the most sense for Murray.
Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray scrambles and surveys the field during a regular-season matchup against San Francisco at State Farm Stadium on Jan 5, 2025, flashing arm talent and mobility that continue to define his game despite ongoing durability questions, as the Cardinals evaluated roster direction late in the season. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Kyler Murray and the Jets?
For now, New York has two quarterbacks in its roster orbit this offseason: Justin Fields and Brady Cook.
Fields had ample opportunity to catch fire as the Jets’ long-term quarterback in 2025, but that just never materialized. He’ll probably be released or traded this offseason for a late-round draft pick. It would be quite odd for the Jets to run it back with Fields in 2026 while hoping the outcome would be different.
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Cook experienced 4 starts as a rookie, delivering a lousy 2-touchdown to 7-interception split. He does not seem to be the solution at QB1 and only really played because the Jets had hit rock bottom in 2025.
Which brings the chat to Murray.
The Jets could draft Alabama’s Ty Simpson in April, but he’s not a totally coveted prospect. He’s closer to Kenny Pickett than Drake Maye. Therefore, New York needs a quarterback and could dangle a 2nd- or 3rd-Round pick in front of Arizona.
SI.com‘s Zach Pressnell wrote about Murray to New York last weekend, “Murray is the perfect option for the Jets. He fits a very similar profile to Fields, but he has a much higher floor. The Jets wouldn’t need to shift their entire offense to fit Murray’s style. It would fit Murray’s running game in the same way it fit Fields’ way of doing business.”
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“It would be fairly expensive to trade for Murray, likely costing a second-round pick, but the Jets have plenty of draft capital to deal from. They have five first round picks over the next two years, as well as a slew of second round picks.”
Kyler Murray and the Steelers?
In Pittsburgh, Omar Khan somewhat controversially hired Mike McCarthy as the new head coach, succeeding Mike Tomlin, who spent about 20 years in the position. Aaron Rodgers may be on the fast track to return, as Rodgers and McCarthy worked together for 17 seasons in Green Bay.
But what if Rodgers retires or signs with the Vikings? Well, Pittsburgh would need a quarterback, and after swinging and missing on Kenny Pickett in 2022, a player like Simpson may not move the needle.
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That would put Khan and McCarthy on the doorstep of Murray trade talks, at least in theory. Like the Vikings, the Steelers are very much in win-now mode — because that’s just their modus operandi.
Kyler Murray and the Vikings?
When the Vikings fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah last week, McCarthy — J.J., not Mike — might have been the biggest “loser” of the day aside from Adofo-Mensah personally. Now is the perfect time to shimmy away from McCarthy as the quarterback of the future if the powers that be have soured on him. The franchise basically has a get-out-of-jail-free card here and now.
Murray is 28 and checks just about every box at quarterback in 2026: arm talent, ball placement, speed, pocket feel, and real, functional mobility. When plays break down, he’s a problem — in a good way. When things are on schedule, he can be lethal. His resume already includes a top-five completion rate in NFL history.
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The concerns are familiar and bundled together. He’s listed at 5’10” or 5’11”, depending on who’s holding the tape measure. Smaller quarterbacks absorb hits differently, and durability naturally enters the conversation. That’s the trade-off teams weigh when the upside includes elite efficiency and his team’s lack of playoff success.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell exchanges words with quarterback J.J. McCarthy after a first-quarter touchdown at Ford Field on Nov. 2, 2025, capturing a brief moment of optimism amid an uneven season, as Minnesota emphasized development, communication, and patience while assessing its young passer’s long-term trajectory during a challenging rebuild phase. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
If Arizona moves on — via trade or release — Murray won’t linger. A competent playcaller who understands spacing, tempo, and movement can unlock him fairly quickly. That could be Kevin O’Connell.
Remember: the Vikings went 9–8 in 2025 while getting bottom-five quarterback play across the league. Inject Murray into the offense, and enthusiasm would change overnight. Thirteen or fourteen wins could become a reality, especially after the Vikings pulled off the same feat with Sam Darnold in 2024.
Anybody Else?
The Jets, Steelers, and Vikings are the true frontrunners for Murray if he’s indeed on the trade block. But it’s also worth noting that these organizations don’t have 100% quarterback stability and therefore cannot be wholly ruled out:
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Cleveland Browns
Indianapolis Colts
Miami Dolphins
Kyler Murray returns to game action for Arizona, making his 2023 season debut against Atlanta at State Farm Stadium on Nov 12, 2023, testing recovery and rhythm while operating the Cardinals’ offense, a pivotal evaluation point as the franchise measured his readiness after extended absence during a closely watched return. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic
The Browns and Dolphins would have a difficult time onboarding an expensive quarterback (like Murray) due to large contracts for Deshaun Watson and Tua Tagovailoa, respectively. And the Colts seem committed to Daniel Jones and his Achilles tendon recovery.
The cool part about a Murray trade? It could be finagled and announced as early as now.
Miami RedHawks guard Luke Skaljac (3) dribbles the ball in the second half of the NCAA Basketball game at Millett Hall in Oxford, Ohio, on Saturday, January 31, 2026.
Luke Skaljac scored a career-high 19 points as No. 23 Miami (Ohio) remained unbeaten with a 73-71 victory over host Buffalo on Tuesday night in a Mid-American Conference contest.
Buffalo closed to 73-71 on a Noah Batchelor 3-pointer with 12 seconds to play and had a chance to win the game, but Ryan Sabol’s 3-pointer with 4 seconds left hit the front rim and bounced out.
Skaljac also had five steals, four rebounds and three assists. Miami (23-0, 11-0 MAC) received an 11-point performance from Brant Byers and 10 points, five rebounds and eight assists from Peter Suder.
Arizona (22-0) is the only other unbeaten Division I team in the country.
Buffalo’s Angelo Brizzi made nine of 14 field-goal attempts and scored a game-high 22 points. Daniel Freitag added 18 points, seven assists and four rebounds for the Bulls (14-9, 4-7).
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Suder’s layup capped a 10-0 spurt that handed Miami a 48-37 lead with 17:56 to play. The RedHawks had their largest lead, 52-40, after Skaljac’s jumper with 16:01 left, but Buffalo scored the next nine points to pull within three. It was 62-62 after Brizzi’s 3-pointer with 6:39 remaining.
The teams tied twice more before the RedHawks opened a 72-66 advantage on Skaljac’s layup with 3:02 left and 18-foot jumper with 1:35 remaining.
Brizzi responded with a dunk with 1:20 to go before Justin Kirby made one of two free throws with 32 seconds left for Miami’s 73-68 lead.
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The Bulls had a significant edge in the game at the free-throw line, where they made 14 of 18 attempts. The RedHawks didn’t attempt a free throw until 9:25 remained in the game. Miami was 3 of 6 at the foul line.
Neither team led by more than seven points in the first half. Buffalo had a 33-32 lead following a Batchelor 3-pointer with 4:07 left in the half before Miami gained a 38-35 by halftime.
The RedHawks shot 56.7% (17 of 30) from the field in the first half, while the Bulls shot 38.7% (12 of 31).
Miami earned a 105-102 overtime victory in the first meeting between the teams this season on Jan. 17 in Oxford, Ohio.
Not so long ago, it appeared as though Wilder was set to face bona fide heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk, but ‘The Bronze Bomber’ must now prepare himself for a vastly different matchup altogether.
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The 40-year-old comes off a relatively uninspiring seventh round finish over Tyrrell Herndon in June, which followed his back-to-back defeats against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang.
Against Parker, the American failed to unleash his trademark power, and that was again outlined during Zhang’s fifth-round stoppage victory.
One man who certainly seems to think Wilder’s power may be gone is British heavyweight Allen, who, having previously sparred with Chisora, believes that Wilder is likely to find himself on the receiving end of an early stoppage.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Allen put forward the opinion that, despite being two years older, Chisora is the more serviceable customer at this stage of their careers.
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“Wilder, I just don’t think he has anything left. You would think, for a guy that can punch, Chisora’s a good match, because Chisora will walk on to you and he’s there to be hit.
“But Wilder, I just don’t think he can pull the trigger no more. Of course he can still punch… But [Chisora’s] not that easy to hit because you have to worry about him hitting you back.
“I think seven or eight years ago, Wilder would’ve had the speed and the want to really hit Derek, and I think he would’ve stopped him.
“But even at 42 [years old], I think [Chisora] has got a lot more left than Wilder. I think he’ll get to him early.”
Chisora comes off three straight points victories over Gerald Washington, Joe Joyce and Otto Wallin, all of them following his 10th-round stoppage defeat to Tyson Fury in 2022.
NEW DELHI: Former Australia captain Steve Smith has signed with new Pakistan Super League (PSL) team Sialkot Stallionz for the 2026 season, which will make his first-ever appearance in the PSL. The franchise confirmed the signing on Tuesday, bringing Smith in through a direct signing option allowed under league rules for overseas players who did not play in the previous season.
Former captain Rashid Latif on Pakistan boycotting India T20 World Cup match
Sialkot Stallionz were recently announced as one of the PSL’s two new teams, and Smith is expected to be a central figure in their debut campaign. With his experience and leadership background, he could also be considered for the captain’s role.Smith, who went unsold during the IPL mini auction in December last year, last played competitive cricket in the Big Bash League with Sydney Sixers, where he made an immediate impact despite joining midway through the season. He scored 299 runs in just six matches at an impressive average of 59.80, including one century and two half-centuries. Smith, playing alongside Babar Azam, finished as the Sixers’ top scorer and helped them reach the final, where they lost to Perth Scorchers.Although Smith went unsold in the IPL 2025 auction, his value in franchise cricket remains high. Across 272 T20 matches, he has scored 6,242 runs at an average of 32.68 and a strike rate of 131.38, including five centuries and 30 half-centuries.Sialkot Stallionz have also strengthened their setup off the field by appointing former Australia captain Tim Paine as head coach. Paine brings coaching experience from stints with Adelaide Strikers and Australia A teams.The PSL 2026 season is scheduled to begin on March 26, with Sialkot Stallionz set to make their much-anticipated debut.
Oleksandr Usyk has revealed he wants to face a familiar foe one more time and is hoping to return to action sooner than expected.
The bona fide heavyweight king was in negotiations for a clash against former world champion Deontay Wilder, only for their matchup to ultimately get abandoned.
As a result, Usyk has seemingly been left to search for an alternative opponent, hoping to defend his WBC, IBF and WBA titles before long.
The Ukrainian became a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion in July, orchestrating an emphatic fifth-round finish against Daniel Dubois, and has since claimed that he wishes to enter at least two more fights.
Prior to his stoppage of Dubois, Usyk scored back-to-back points victories over Tyson Fury in 2024, cementing himself as the greatest heavyweight of his era.
With his old foe announcing his comeback fight, Usyk has told Seconds Out that he would welcome a trilogy clash with the 37-year-old while, at the same time, suggesting that he could return to the ring as early as March.
“Maybe March, I’m back in the ring.
I want [trilogy] fight with Tyson Fury, no problem. UK, Saudi Arabia, USA – doesn’t matter [where it takes place].”
Whether Usyk will, in fact, compete in March, it remains to be seen, but the 39-year-old nonetheless seems intrigued by a possible third encounter with Fury.
Jul 31, 2025; Commerce City, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rapids midfielder Cole Bassett (23) reacts in the first half against Santos Laguna at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
The Colorado Rapids traded midfielder Cole Bassett to the Portland Timbers FC, getting $2.65 million in return.
If Bassett, 24, meets certain performance metrics, the Rapids could receive as much as $950,000 more. Colorado also would receive a percentage of a future trade or transfer.
“We are thrilled to welcome Cole Bassett to the Portland Timbers. Cole has been an impactful player in MLS for a number of years, and his ambitions align with ours as he takes this next step in his career,” Timbers general manager Ned Grabavoy said.
“He immediately makes our midfield more dynamic with his ability to join attacks and provide an end product. We look forward to his arrival, and he will be an important player for us moving forward.”
A native of Littleton, Colo., Bassett came through the Rapids’ academy and is the club’s all-time leader among homegrown players in MLS regular season appearances (155), starts (128), minutes (11,286), goals (31) and assists (22). He was the youngest player in club history to play a complete match (17 years, 77 days) and the youngest to contribute to a goal (17 years, 252 days).
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Among all Rapids players, Bassett ranks tied for fifth in appearances, tied for sixth in goals and total goal contributions, and ninth in assists and minutes played in club history.
“Cole has been an important part of this club for a long time, not only for what he contributed on the field but for the way he represented the Rapids off it as well,” said Padraig Smith, the team president, in a statement on Monday.
“As a Homegrown player, he set a strong example within our locker room, in our community, and for the next generation coming through our Academy. We’re grateful for everything he’s given the club and wish him nothing but success in the next chapter of his career.”
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Bassett was named to the MLS 22 under 22 list three times from 2019-21.
Nov 2, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy looks on during the third quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
The New York Giants plan to hire Matt Nagy as their offensive coordinator, multiple media outlets reported on Tuesday.
Nagy’s primary order of business will be to continue the development of prized quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Nagy, 47, spent the past three seasons in the same post with the Kansas City Chiefs, who welcomed back Eric Bieniemy to replace him as offensive coordinator. Nagy also was the OC in Kansas City in 2017 before serving as the head coach of the Chicago Bears from 2018-21, where he had a 34-31 record.
Nagy was unsuccessful in his bid to nab one of the vacant head coaching positions this offseason and now will join new head coach John Harbaugh with the Giants.
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New York reportedly was interested in Todd Monken — Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator the last three seasons in Baltimore — to fill its OC position. Monken, however, was hired as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns.
The Giants finished fifth in rushing and 13th in total offense this past season. Dart, a first-round selection from the 2025 draft, totaled 24 touchdowns (15 passing, nine rushing) and five interceptions in 14 games (12 starts).
Familiar Super Bowl foes meet when the Seattle Seahawks battle the New England Patriots in the 2026 Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 8. Seattle advanced with a 31-27 win over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game, while New England outlasted the Denver Broncos 10-7 in the AFC Championship Game. The Seahawks (14-3), who have won nine in a row, are making their fourth Super Bowl appearance. The Patriots (14-3), who have won six consecutive games, are making their 12th Super Bowl appearance, extending their own record as no other franchise has more than eight appearances.
Built using cutting-edge artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques by SportsLine’s Data Science team, AI Predictions and AI Ratings are generated for each game. The AI predictions are determined by statistically learning from each team’s historical data and then quantitatively evaluating the strength of the opponent’s defense by assigning a numeric value out of 100 called a matchup score. It continuously refreshes on the most recent available data and can help you spot the biggest discrepancies in the lines. SportsLine’s AI PickBot has hit more than 2,000 4.5- and 5-star prop picks since the start of the 2023 season.
Seattle is known for its defense, allowing 16 or fewer points in six of its past eight games. The Seahawks had the sixth-best defense in the NFL, giving up 285.6 yards per game and a league-low 17.2 points per game. Seattle has been dominant in the run game, giving up just 91.9 yards rushing, which is the third-best in the league.
Offensively, the Seahawks had a top-10 offense as well. During the regular season, Seattle tied with San Francisco for the seventh-best offense, averaging 351.4 yards per game. The Seahawks averaged 28.4 points, which was third-best in the NFL. Veteran quarterback Sam Darnold was a big part of the Seattle offense, which had the eighth-best passing attack, averaging 228.1 passing yards per game. See who wins Super Bowl LX predictions and game picks at SportsLine.
Why the Patriots can cover
Like Seattle, New England has also had a solid defense in 2025-26. The Patriots ended the regular season with the eighth-best defense, allowing 295.2 yards per game. New England allowed the fourth-least amount of points at 18.8 points per game. The Patriots were among the best against the rush, finishing sixth overall, allowing 101.7 rushing yards per game. New England has allowed 16 or fewer points in each of the last five games.
Offensively, the Patriots put up the second-most points in the regular-season, averaging 28.8 points per game, behind second-year quarterback Drake Maye. They had the third-best offense at 379.4 yards per game, and were fourth in passing yards at 250.5. New England has scored 26 or more points in eight of its last 10 games. See who wins Super Bowl LX predictions and game picks at SportsLine.
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How to make 2026 Super Bowl LX picks
After analyzing Super Bowl LX, SportsLine AI says the Under 45.5 (-112) will hit in a tight, low-scoring matchup. SportsLine AI has also revealed its exact score projection, and a coveted A+ pick on one side that you can see to see now. Visit SportsLine to see the AI’s pick.
Draymond Green‘s future with the Golden State Warriors is in jeopardy ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. The Warriors are among the teams looking to trade for Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. Given that Antetokounmpo has a massive contract, Golden State needs a player who could serve as a salary filler.
According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, the Warriors have placed Green on the trade block on Tuesday. The team remains aggressive in trading for the Greek Freak. With the star forward, Golden State remains competitive in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes.
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“General manager Mike Dunleavy and controlling owner Joe Lacob have maintained a motivation to get a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo across the finish line and, as part of that, Green’s name has been involved in the framework of available offers to the Milwaukee Bucks,” Slater reported.
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Additionally, Green and his camp have come to terms with the possibility of getting involved in an Antetokounmpo deal. Even if a trade hasn’t happened yet, the Warriors are willing to let go of one of their best players to stay competitive.
Green has been with the team for the past 13 seasons and helped the Warriors achieve success. The NBA veteran was key to the team’s dynasty and won four championships with the organization. If Golden State trades him away, Steph Curry will remain as the only player on the team from the championship years.
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With the Warriors, Draymond Green is a four-time champion, a four-time All-Star, a nine-time All-Defensive and a two-time All-NBA.
Draymond Green reacts to trade talk on Threads
NBA trade rumors are being posted everywhere on social media. One post on Threads said that ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel reported on Draymond Green being open to a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. That is, if it meant he could return to the Warriors in free agency. It was a post from courtsideheatnba.
Green saw the post and gave his reaction to the trade noise.
“🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣who’s the source?” Green replied.
Siegel was given credit in the post, but one crucial detail was omitted. Green is open to the Antetokounmpo deal, provided he can rejoin the Warriors, according to a statement made by an unidentified executive.
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“One rival executive who has dealt with the Warriors before in trade talks spoke with ClutchPoints on Sunday and brought up the interesting scenario where Green himself could be on board with such a maneuver, where he could be traded and return next season alongside Curry, Butler, and Antetokounmpo, since he owns a $27.6 million player option,” Siegel wrote.
Siegel reported that it was something said to him about Draymond Green’s situation in Golden State. However, he made it clear that Green, the Bucks, and the Warriors haven’t discussed it.
Shakur Stevenson overcame Teofimo Lopez with relative ease at the weekend and the newly crowned WBO super-lightweight king has summarised his thoughts on Lopez’s ability.
It now seems as though Stevenson will either return to lightweight in search of title unifications or move up to welterweight for a lucrative showdown with Conor Benn, meaning his reign in the 140lb division will likely end without a title defence.
In an interview with Ring Magazine, Stevenson assessed the quality of Lopez after facing him and gave credit to his rival, admitting that the 28-year-old has both power and speed.
“He is a tough fighter, he got power too, speed too.”
Stevenson followed up that praise on social media after rewatching the action.
Just rewatched my fight, Teo is a really good fighter great boxing skills.. I just made him look that way because of my skills but other guys wouldn’t make him look like that! My Jab My defense My IQ.. I’m just on another level out of this world, ALL GLORY TO GOD 🙏🏾
According to Compubox, Lopez landed just 15% (72/468) of his punches in the fight, but almost 80% of those scoring shots were power punches (56).
Still, Lopez will need to ensure that those blows prove more consequential against larger opposition than they did against Stevenson, with punch power being the obvious hurdle to conquering a third division.
During the aftermath of his victory on Saturday, Shakur Stevenson demanded a showdown with Conor Benn. Now, Carl Froch has weighed in on how he believes the potential scrap would play out.
Stevenson delivered a masterful performance to decision Teofimo Lopez by a significant margin at Madison Square Garden and claim the WBO super-lightweight world title, becoming a four-division world champion in the process.
Yet, despite an expectation that the Newark southpaw will now return to lightweight to defend his WBC 135lb crown, the 28-year-old then called out British welterweight Conor Benn, who is eyeing up belts in the 147lb division.
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Speaking on his YouTube channel, four-time super-middleweight ruler Carl Froch dismissed Benn’s chances in the contest.
“Nobody is giving Conor Benn a chance, at all, and you can see why.
“Conor Benn is still learning on the job, he has never fought for an English, British, Commonwealth or European title, he has never fought for a world title.
“He got a good win against Chris Algieri, he has had them two mega fights with Chris Eubank Jr. but he is not ready for them kind of opponents, in my opinion.”
However, ‘The Cobra’ then went on to explain that he does believe Benn to be capable of claiming world honours, once he has a couple more world-level bouts under his belt.
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“Conor needs a couple of steady fights around world level before he challenges for a world title and I like him against someone like Ryan Garcia in a couple of fights, or maybe [Mario] Barrios, I think that that they are winnable fights.”
Barrios and Garcia fight one another in just over two weeks’ time with the WBC world title at stake and Benn has admitted that he is planning to take on the victor, or possibly WBA titleholder Rolando Romero, in his next fight, though he is not shying away from Stevenson’s challenge.
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