David Benavidez’s victory over Gilberto Ramirez got the boxing world talking about whether a potential history-making heavyweight title win could be on the cards, and now top-rated trainer Robert Garcia has shared his thoughts on the debate.

Having ruled at both super-middleweight and light-heavyweight, Benavidez made the 25lbs leap up to cruiserweight and made easy work of unified WBO and WBA champion, Ramirez, halting the Mexican in round six.

As a result, many fans are questioning whether Benavidez should ditch his plans of returning to light heavyweight and possibly venture all the way up to heavyweight to pursue a showdown with current unified champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Should he claim heavyweight gold, Benavidez would join Roy Jones Jr as just the second man to have truly reigned at super-middleweight and heavyweight, not including James Toney’s heavyweight title win, which was subsequently ruled as a no-contest due to a failed drugs test. ‘The Mexican Monster’ is currently the only man to have won titles at 168, 175 and 200lbs.

Speaking to ES News, Garcia, who has trained the likes of Anthony Joshua, Jesse Rodriguez and Nonito Donaire, stated his belief that ‘The Mexican Monster’ would be able to dethrone Usyk in two years.

“I think that Benavidez beats Usyk two years from now. [Usyk is nearly 40 already,] so imagine two years from now, Benavidez beats him.”

Whether or not Usyk sticks around that long remains to be seen. The two-weight undisputed champion fights kickboxer Rico Verhoeven this month, and has said he will compete twice more before seriously considering retirement.

With plenty of contenders already in the division and worthy of a shot at the Ukrainian, the Benavidez bout seems a long way off, not least because Benavidez himself seems intent, for now, on dropping back down rather than moving up further.

Benavidez does plan to make a move to the top division at one stage, however, and if Garcia believes he can beat someone as talented as Usyk, even with age playing a factor, he will likely back him against many other heavyweights.

Terence Crawford has addressed accusations that he swerved a world champion, saying he would have won by knockout if they ever locked horns.

The former three-division undisputed king was never one to shy away from a formidable challenge, hence why he stepped up two weight classes to face Canelo Alvarez.

Despite being a sizable underdog, Crawford was able to dethrone the Mexican last September, collecting all four major super-middleweight belts with a unanimous decision victory.

Even before that, ‘Bud’ had cemented himself as one of the sport’s flagship fighters by scoring a ninth-round finish over Errol Spence Jr in 2023.

Yet somehow, before announcing his retirement as an unbeaten five-division world champion in December, Crawford was accused by Jaron Ennis of ducking their potential fight.

This was back when ‘Boots’ had become the mandatory challenger to Crawford, who would ultimately vacate his welterweight titles and dethrone Israil Madrimov at 154lbs.

Ennis, in turn, was upgraded from ‘interim’ to full world champion, before eventually unifying the IBF and WBA titles against Eimantas Stanionis in April 2025.

During this time, though, the American was vocal in his belief that Crawford had actively avoided him, when in reality the then-unbeaten contender represented a high-risk, low-reward option.

In response, the now-retired Crawford has told King Gillie that, if they had collided, their welterweight contest would have ended in one-sided fashion.

“Ya’ll wanted me to end Boots’ career before it started. I would have knocked him the f*** out. Stop playing with me.

“He wasn’t ready yet. He needed a couple more fights, they said.”

Now campaigning at 154lbs, ‘Boots’ looks to dethrone unified world champion Xander Zayas when they square off at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn, on June 27.

Olympic refugee swimmer Alaa Maso had never planned to come to Germany. But close to 10 years after first arriving along with about 1.2 million other asylum seekers as Germany opened its doors amid a migration crisis, it is a country he is now hoping to make his permanent home.

“I don’t believe that home is where you grew up or where you were born,” Maso told DW in a recent interview at his training base in Hanover. “I just believe that home is wherever you feel yourself at home. You’re given that feeling by the people surrounding you.”

Back in 2015, with his native Syria in the full throes of civil war, Maso had little choice but to leave if he wanted to pursue a career in swimming.

Hailing from Aleppo, a major battleground in the war, he was going for months on end without training.

“It always had to depend on how safe the situation was and what the priorities were,” he said.

And so, together with older brother, Mo, he took the long and arduous journey to Europe via Turkey.

Civil war slowed career

The brothers had originally intended to settle in the Netherlands with some other family members.

But because they had been fingerprinted while transiting through Germany, European Union rules meant their asylum applications had to be processed here.

Since then, it has been a case of making up for lost time, even though the 25-year-old Maso prefers not to dwell on the past. But there is no hiding the fact that the civil war held back his budding career.

“It’s never possible to replace such damage,” he said.

“The four years in which I was not able to train are some of the most important years in the life of a swimmer. It’s where you put in the basics, the groundwork for everything that’s coming in the future.”

Immigrants ‘can reach their goals’

Maso was four years old when his father taught him to swim. Later inspired by Michael Phelps and his eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games, he resolved to one day compete at the Olympics himself.

“From that day on I wanted to be there,” Maso said. “I knew that it’s a stage that every swimmer would love to be on.”

Advertisement

Maso’s wish was granted in 2021, when he was picked to represent the Olympic refugee team at the Tokyo Games. The refugee team first appeared at the Rio Games in 2016 after the International Olympic Committee decided to give displaced people an opportunity to compete when they otherwise would have been unable to because of their situation.

In a moment that went viral on social media, Maso embraced his brother at the Tokyo opening ceremony. Despite their journey together to Germany, Mo was competing in the triathlon for Syria.

“It’s only because he had better connections with the Syrian federation than I did,” Maso said. “I don’t see it as a political position or support for any side in Syria.”

While Mo has since retired, Alaa competed for the refugee team in Paris. But a year on, in 2025, injury forced him to withdraw from the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.

After the fall of Bashar Assad in late 2024, Maso resumed conversations with the Syrian swimming federation about representing the country, but no decision has been made. Despite the regime change, he doesn’t foresee returning to the country, which is still in some turmoil, to live again.

Advertisement

In fact, Maso has applied to become a German citizen. His application has received strong support, including a letter from former Lower Saxony Premier Stephan Weil, recognizing Alaa’s contributions — particularly his role in supporting the integration of fellow refugees through sport and community work.

Political plan for integration

Integration is a topic to which Maso has given much thought, at a time of simmering anti-immigrant sentiment in Germany.  That sentiment was confirmed by Germany’s federal election in February 2025, when the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party took second place, with 20.8% of the vote.

Maso initially hesitated to wade into the political debate months ahead of that election, before eloquently outlining what he thinks needs to happen.

Advertisement

“Some workshops have to be done for new refugees to try to install [in them] the new culture they are trying to enter,” he said.

“I’m not saying people are supposed to let go of their culture or their background, but [you should] also try to integrate into the new society you are trying to live in.

“That, for me, is a crucial way of helping people with different backgrounds than the German and European backgrounds to adapt and get a glimpse of how it’s going to be for the next 10 years. Because nobody comes here to live for one or two years. You’re trying to build a new life, and that’s going to be a very long process.”

AfD leader Alice Weidel, has not shied away from calling for “large-scale repatriations” of those who have arrived in Germany from elsewhere. “And I have to be honest with you: if it’s going to be called remigration, then that’s what it’s going to be: remigration,” she said at a party conference just before the election.

Though Germany’s other major parties have historically resisted working with the far right since World War Two, that so-called “firewall” has weakened in recent years. If a plan such as Weidel suggested were ever to come to fruition, Maso could be forced out of the country if he hasn’t received citizenship. However, he insists he isn’t scared.

Advertisement

“I know that no matter how big the party is or how many seats each party has, they cannot decide everything on their own,” he said. “That’s the good thing about Europe and democracy in Europe. Just because you’re the ruling party, you’re not able to do anything you want.”

Despite the difficult political climate, Maso is upbeat about his own future. Should he be successful in becoming a citizen, would he like to compete for Germany, his adopted country?

“I would totally be OK with that,” he said.

This article was originally published on July 7, 2024. It was updated on August 25, 2025 to reflect political changes in Syria and Alaa Maso’s immigration status. An earlier version of this article referred to Stefan Weil as Lower Saxony premier. This has been updated to reflect the fact that he stepped down as premier in May 2025.
Dana Sumlaji contributed to this report. 

Advertisement

Edited by Chuck Penfold 

Manchester United are looking to bolster their midfield in the summer transfer window with Champions League football on the horizon

Manchester United are broadening their horizons this summer as they look to strengthen. It is understood Atalanta’s defensive midfielder Ederson is on the Reds’ radar after Atletico Madrid have seemingly hijacked a move for Wolverhampton Wanderers star Joao Gomes. Atletico had been interested in Ederson in January.

However, talks between the two clubs broke down and the La Liga side have since turned their attention to Gomes. This has opened the door for United to make a move for Ederson. The Reds are still weighing up the pros and cons of a player who has made 178 appearances in Italy.

He is expected to cost £40m thanks to his contract expiring at the end of next season. But with United looking to sign two midfielders, or three if Manuel Ugarte leaves, they are unlikely to rush to sign Ederson if he does not represent good value for money.

Click here to find out the latest Manchester United news in our daily newsletter

So with this in mind, MEN Sport has taken a look at what United could be getting if they agree to move for Ederson.

Style of play

Ederson has been utilised as a holding midfielder at Atalanta. Alongside their captain Marten de Roon, the 26-year-old has flourished and become a key asset for the Serie A club. However, he is not a direct replacement for Casemiro.

While he is known for being combative, Ederson is unlikely to favour a crunching tackle like the Brazil icon. Instead, he will want to carry the ball up the pitch for United, look for those progressive forward passes and try to create key opportunities for the attackers.

If United want someone to anchor the midfield to allow Kobbie Mainoo to press forward, Ederson is perhaps not the man for the job.

High praise

Atalanta’s previous managers have not tended to sing the praises of Ederson in interviews. The job he is doing has sometimes slipped under the radar but former England head coach Fabio Capello was keen to praise the midfielder last season.

“I still believe Inter are the favourites, but [Gian Piero] Gasperini can certainly play his cards,” Capello said in December 2024. “And he has a midfielder worthy of a top European club: Ederson. He’s out of this world with his ability to combine running, physicality, technique, and intelligence.”

Happy with the attention

That same year, Ederson was linked with Newcastle and Juventus. While he did not express a desire to leave, he was happy to have the attention of some of European football’s bigger clubs.

“Being looked for by big clubs like Juventus? This is normal when the transfer market opens, for some situations to come up,” he explained.

“It happened in Brazil, it happened when I was at Salernitana. For me it’s better this way, it means that I’m doing well and that there are many people watching me.

“It always happens with the market, but the most important thing is to do well at Atalanta and I’m doing very well here.”

The 2026 PGA Championship kicks off Thursday, May 14, with the opening round at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania. You can find full PGA Championship tee times for Thursday’s first round at the bottom of this post.

Featured tee time for Round 1

In April at the 2026 Masters, Rory McIlroy captured his second consecutive green jacket. This week at Aronimink, Scottie Scheffler will try to accomplish a similar feat: winning back-to-back PGA Championships.

Scheffler, the longtime No. 1, won two major titles last season, including his first PGA Championship title at Quail Hollow. Beginning the season with four career majors, Scheffler nearly added a fifth at the Masters. But he came up one shot short as McIlroy collected his second Masters trophy.

Though he hasn’t won since his first start of the year back in January, Scheffler has three straight runner-up finishes coming into PGA week.

Scheffler will tee off for the opening round in his pursuit of his second PGA win on Thursday at 2:05 p.m. ET alongside Matt Fitzpatrick and Justin Rose.

You can watch Thursday’s first round of the PGA Championship from 12-8 p.m. ET on ESPN. You can also stream exclusive online coverage via PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ starting at 6:45 a.m. ET Thursday morning.

Check out the complete Round 1 tee times for the 2026 PGA Championship below.

Want to bet the PGA Championship? Sign up for Fanatics Sportsbook with code “SUBPAR” to receive a special welcome offer.

Advertisement

Get ESPN+

With an ESPN+ subscription, you gain access to PGA Tour Live, where you can stream the best PGA Tour events live from wherever you want.

Advertisement

2026 PGA Championship tee times for Thursday: Round 1 (ET)

Tee No. 1

6:45 a.m. – Braden Shattuck, Alex Fitzpatrick, Ben Griffin
6:56 a.m. – Francisco Bide, Harry Hall, Ryan Gerard
7:07 a.m. – Johnny Keefer, Rico Hoey, Nicolai Højgaard
7:18 a.m. – Shaun Micheel, Michael Brennan, Garrick Higgo
7:29 a.m. – Y.E. Yang, Jhonattan Vegas, Matt McCarty
7:40 a.m. – Lucas Glover, Tom McKibbin, Stephan Jaeger
7:51 a.m. – Daniel Brown, Adrien Saddier, Harris English
8:02 a.m. – Jacob Bridgeman, Bud Cauley, Alex Noren
8:13 a.m. – Chris Kirk, Max Greyserman, Kristoffer Reitan
8:24 a.m. – Maverick McNealy, Thomas Detry, Padraig Harrington
8:35 a.m. – Ryan Lenahan, Ryan Fox, Kazuki Higa
8:46 a.m. – Jared Jones, Michael Kim, Ryo Hisatsune
8:57 a.m. – Tyler Collet, Kota Kaneko, Brandt Snedeker
12:15 p.m. – Andrew Novak, John Parry, Jordan Gumberg
12:26 p.m. – Ben Polland, Kurt Kitayama, Nico Echavarria
12:37 p.m. – Akshay Bhatia, Ricky Castillo, Michael Thorbjornsen
12:48 p.m. – Luke Donald, Jesse Droemer, Stewart Cink
12:59 p.m. – Hideki Matsuyama, J.J. Spaun, Max Homa
1:10 p.m. – Ben Kern, J.T. Poston, Russell Henley
1:21 p.m. – Adam Scott, Corey Conners, Daniel Berger
1:32 p.m. – Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa, Shane Lowry
1:43 p.m. – Chris Gotterup, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood
1:54 p.m. – Cameron Young, Keegan Bradley, Justin Thomas
2:05 p.m. – Scottie Scheffler, Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose
2:16 p.m. – Zach Haynes, Alex Smalley, Chandler Blanchet
2:27 p.m. – Bernd Wiesberger, Sudarshan Yellamaraju, Andy Sullivan

Tee No. 10

6:50 a.m. – Aldrich Potgieter, David Puig, Denny McCarthy
7:01 a.m. – William Mouw, Chris Gabriele, Taylor Pendrith
7:12 a.m. – Tom Hoge, Bryce Fisher, Joaquin Niemann
7:23 a.m. – Keith Mitchell, Billy Horschel, Ian Holt
7:34 a.m. – Gary Woodland, Jason Day, Sam Burns
7:45 a.m. – Wyndham Clark, Cameron Smith, Brian Harman
7:56 a.m. – Patrick Cantlay, Min Woo Lee, Sahith Theegala
8:07 a.m. – Si Woo Kim, Derek Berg, Joe Highsmith
8:18 a.m. – Bryson DeChambeau, Ludvig Aberg, Rickie Fowler
8:29 a.m. – Xander Schauffele, Brooks Koepka, Tyrrell Hatton
8:40 a.m. – Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm
8:51 a.m. – Daniel Hillier, Ryan Vermeer, Max McGreevy
9:02 a.m. – Paul McClure, Mikael Lindberg, Angel Ayora
12:10 p.m. – Michael Block, Rasmus Højgaard, Dustin Johnson
12:21 p.m. – Mark Geddes, Steven Fisk, David Lipsky
12:32 p.m. – Sungjae Im, Austin Hurt, Casey Jarvis
12:43 p.m. – Andrew Putnam, Michael Kartrude, Matt Wallace
12:54 p.m. – Martin Kaymer, Elvis Smylie, Davis Riley
1:05 p.m. – Jason Dufner, Haotong Li, Jimmy Walker
1:16 p.m. – Nick Taylor, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Jordan Smith
1:27 p.m. – Emiliano Grillo, Patrick Reed, Pierceson Coody
1:38 p.m. – Brian Campbell, Adam Schenk, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
1:49 p.m. – Marco Penge, Sepp Straka, Patrick Rodgers
2:00 p.m. – Aaron Rai, Travis Smyth, Sami Valimaki
2:11 p.m. – Sam Stevens, Jayden Schaper, Garrett Sapp
2:22 p.m. – Timothy Wiseman, Matti Schmid, Austin Smotherman