Despite coming off a defeat to Oleksandr Usyk, former long-reigning kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven could soon land another world title shot, this time at a 50,000-seat stadium.

The 37-year-old gave a tremendous account of himself in May, coming tantalisingly close to pulling off a major upset against the lineal heavyweight champion.

Prior to that, Verhoeven’s only professional boxing match came against a 0-5 journeyman, who he stopped in round two of their 2014 encounter.

Yet despite his lack of pugilistic experience, the Dutchman was presented with an opportunity to claim Usyk’s WBC title in Egypt.

The Ukrainian had been made an almighty favourite but, rather astonishingly, it was Verhoeven who built a slight lead on one of the judges’ scorecards through 10 rounds.

This remarkable achievement was then followed by an 11th-round knockdown, with referee Mark Lyson waving Verhoeven off on his feet after the bell had sounded.

Subsequently, the kickboxing legend entered the WBC rankings at No.8, while Usyk has now vacated his three belts and afforded Agit Kabayel an upgrade from ‘interim’ to full WBC champion.

Speaking with Playbook Boxing, Kabayel’s manager, Spencer Brown, proposed a potential voluntary title defence against Verhoeven.

“Holland’s very close to Germany; it’s an hour away. [Verhoeven would] bring massive support, and I think that would fill 50,000 in Germany.

“It’s a sensible fight. I think Oleksandr Usyk won the fight fair and square … [But] I thought [Verhoeven] put up an unbelievable performance. I’d never seen anything like it.”

Kabayel claimed his ‘interim’ title with a sixth-round stoppage of Zhilei Zhang in February 2025, underlining his status as one of the division’s most formidable body punchers.

Now coming off a third-round finish over Damian Knyba in Germany, the unbeaten 33-year-old will be eager to defend his new strap later this year.

The former Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, is wanted by some supporters of one national team who are calling for huge changes after their World Cup exit

Brazilian supporters have called for head coach Carlo Ancelotti to be dismissed and replaced by Pep Guardiola after their elimination from the World Cup.

The five-time World Champions suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Norway in the round of 16, with Erling Haaland scoring both goals. A brace from Manchester City striker Erling Haaland in the second half sealed Brazil’s fate, despite Neymar’s late penalty, their second of the match after Bruno Guimaraes had one saved in the first half.

That defeat means their quest for a sixth World Cup triumph continues. The nation last claimed the trophy in 2002.

Speaking following the final whistle, Ancelotti said: “We must continue to work and improve, and find new ideas. I believe that this loss is not the end, but the beginning of a new cycle.”

Despite his measured response, Brazilian supporters took to social media to demand his dismissal. “Bruno is at fault, Endrick is at fault. But the main one responsible for the elimination is the cowardly and arrogant Carlo Ancelotti,” one wrote.

“He clearly instructed the team to let Norway have the ball. Coward. It went wrong, obviously, but he didn’t want to fix it. Arrogant. Best coach in the world… who should never coach the national team again.”

A second added: “Carlo Ancelotti is an absolute coward. An utter disgrace. He should be fired tonight.

“I like Carlo Ancelotti – who doesn’t – but I am completely unmoved by this result, and he deserves the sack,” said a third. “To choose Neymar over Joao Pedro is an injustice punishable by this sort of disgrace. I understand football is emotional, but you’re not serious if you pick Neymar in 2026.”

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Supporters are in little doubt over who they’d like to see take the reins. One wrote: “This selection is begging for Pep Guardiola.” A second added: “The only manager who can save Brazil, Pep Guardiola.”

“Hey @CBF_Futebol, take advantage of this Pep Guardiola guy slipping up in the market and pay the buyout clause,” a third said.

Guardiola is currently without a club after departing Man City this summer, with former Chelsea and Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca stepping in as his successor at Etihad Stadium. The Catalan coach has been touted for the Brazil role on several occasions previously, including as recently as this year.

Back in 2015, former Brazil and Barcelona full-back Dani Alves disclosed that the iconic tactician had coveted the position ahead of the 2014 World Cup. “Pep said he wanted to make Brazil a World Cup champion and had an entire strategy to make us a world champion,” Alves told ESPN Brasil in 2015.

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“They didn’t want it, because they said that they didn’t know if Brazil would accept a foreign coach. Pep is the best coach in the world, the greatest sports manager I’ve ever seen. He revolutionised football, revolutionised a team, and we had the chance to have him with us. If you let an opportunity like this go by, then you are not really thinking about the national team.”

Guardiola himself has conceded that he may be receptive to managing at the international level. When quizzed back in May about whether he would consider taking charge of England, he said: “I don’t have any absolute plan about my future.

“I go to rest and recover the time I missed with my kids, even though they are grown, and do many things I’ve not done that I want to do. I don’t think for one second about anything related to football for the next years. I need to rest, I need to reflect, I need to see what happened in my 17, 18 years, in my time with Barcelona, in Germany [with Bayern Munich] and here.

“After, we see what happens. I didn’t do in the past stupid things that I want to do.” Asked if this was not a no, Guardiola said: “Yeah – [but] nobody cares.”

Agit Kabayel is now full WBC heavyweight world champion, having been upgraded from interim when Oleksandr Usyk vacated the title.

The undefeated German heavyweight has earned a bogeyman tag in the division following wins over Frank Sanchez and Zhilei Zhang, and was called as Usyk’s mandatory this year.

The Ukrainian, however, has opted to vacate the WBC belt, alongside his IBF and WBA titles, to pursue one last fight in America – perhaps against Deontay Wilder – before hanging up the gloves.

With Kabayel now the champion, talk turns to his first voluntary defence. Speaking to Playbook Boxing, his manager, Spencer Brown, suggested Jarrell Miller as his preferred option.

“We are looking at a load of dance partners. I had a chat with Frank and George Warren yesterday, [Kabeyel’s] promoter, so they’ve got to put it all together.

For me, it would probably be Jarrell Miller. I like the sound of that fight. It’s a good fight. Miller is number two in the WBA, I think… I should know, cause I manage him as well … We know what boxing’s like, sometimes it’s what face fits, and I think he’d be a brash-talking American coming into Germany. I think the fight would sell.”

Brown also mentioned new Queensberry Promotions signing Guido Vianello – WBC’s number 13 – and Rico Verhoeven, now ranked at number 8 following his defeat to Usyk, as potential opponents for Kabayel’s first title defence.

Miller is currently not ranked within the sanctioning body’s top fifteen. He comes off a unanimous decision win over Lenier Pero in April. His sole defeat, which came years after a doping ban, came at the hands of current WBO champion Daniel Dubois.

England midfielder Jordan Henderson suffered a “really bad” wrist injury while celebrating his side’s dramatic World Cup last-16 win over Mexico, manager Thomas Tuchel said.

Henderson appeared to land awkwardly after falling from the advertising hoardings at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium following England’s 3-2 victory and was pictured leaving the pitch on a stretcher.

The 36-year-old Brentford midfielder’s World Cup has been limited to a six-minute appearance at the end of England’s Group L win over Panama.

“Jordan [Henderson] just fell over and injured his wrist. It looks really bad,” said England manager Thomas Tuchel on BBC One after his side’s win on Monday.

“It’s a quite serious injury and it doesn’t fit to the evening that Jordan is now not with us. The doctor told me he is in hospital.”

Henderson is being accompanied by a member of England’s support staff and will not travel back with the team on Monday.

England’s next match is a quarter-final tie against Norway in Miami on Saturday 22:00 BST, which you can follow on BBC Radio 5 Live and the BBC Sport website and App.

Henderson is likely to join Reece James, who picked up a hamstring injury in England’s opening match, on the sidelines.

Jarell Quansah is unavailable after receiving a straight red card during England’s victory over Mexico.

Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti helps Brazil’s Vinicius Junior get upduring the World Cup match between Brazil and Norway (AP Photo)

Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti insisted his side’s shock exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup should be viewed as the beginning of a new era rather than the end of a journey after the five-time champions were eliminated by Norway in the Round of 16.Brazil’s campaign came to a disappointing end with a 2-1 defeat, as Erling Haaland struck twice in the second half to send Norway into the quarter-finals for the first time in the men’s team’s history. Neymar converted a penalty deep into stoppage time, but it proved to be only a consolation as Brazil suffered their earliest World Cup exit since 1990.The result was a major setback for one of the tournament favourites, who had topped Group C after drawing with Morocco and defeating Haiti and Scotland before edging past Japan 2-1 in the Round of 32.Reflecting on the defeat, Ancelotti admitted the mood in the Brazil camp was one of deep disappointment but remained confident that the setback would lay the foundations for future success.“It’s obvious that we are all deeply saddened because the team had, until now, not a spectacular World Cup but a good one. I think that in today’s game we could also have deserved to win. When a moment like this happens, you have to think that a defeat is the beginning of a new adventure. I believe that this defeat is not an end, it is the beginning of a new cycle,” he said.Brazil created several opportunities throughout the contest but failed to make them count. Bruno Guimarães missed a first-half penalty with the scores level, while Casemiro was unable to pick out Neymar with a cross during a promising attack that could have produced an equaliser.Ancelotti also defended the decision to allow Guimarães to take the penalty instead of Vinícius Júnior, explaining that his coaching staff had spent a year analysing the team’s penalty options. With Neymar not on the pitch at the time and Raphinha unavailable through injury, Guimarães had been identified as the designated taker.Despite the painful exit, Ancelotti stressed that his focus had already shifted towards rebuilding the national side ahead of the next World Cup.“We will continue working for the national team, trying to improve and seek new ideas. The same thing we did this year. I think the work was good, football is like that, sometimes you have to manage the sadness of a defeat. I’m used to that. We will manage this defeat with a new impetus to the work and in the evaluation of the players,” he concluded.Brazil captain Marquinhos echoed his manager’s frustration, admitting the team failed to capitalise on the chances they created.“We really fell short in the opportunities that we did create,” Marquinhos said. “We had a penalty kick, we had some other chances as well, but here’s the World Cup for you. Those that make the least mistakes are able to move forward to the next round, and to be victorious.”The defeat brought an end to Brazil’s remarkable record in the World Cup knockout stages. Before facing Norway, the Seleção had played 11 previous Round of 16 matches, winning nine, drawing one and losing only once. Their only previous defeat at this stage came against Argentina in 1990, while they progressed past Chile on penalties after a draw in 2014.Brazil also saw a run of eight consecutive World Cup quarter-final appearances come to an end, marking their first failure to reach the last eight since 1990.The loss continued another unwanted trend, with Brazil now having suffered seven successive World Cup knockout defeats against European opposition since beating Germany in the 2002 final. The absence of injured midfielder Lucas Paquetá further compounded the team’s problems as the tournament favourites headed home much earlier than expected.

WWE Hall of Famer John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL) is throwing his hat into the social media ring after decades in pro wrestling and is doing so with BZZR.

BZZR is one of the newest social media platforms to hit the internet vowing to unite sports fans and cut out the noise. The company has already bolstered its roster with famous names in pro wrestling, including MVP, Kayla Becker and Dwayne Swayze.

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

JBL during WWE WrestleMania 21 “WrestleMania Goes Hollywood” at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. (J. Shearer / WireImage for BWR Public Relations)

Layfield told Fox News Digital he decided to partner with BZZR after learning that his favorite baseball team, the Texas Rangers, were doing business with the company.

“I got a good friend, I call him ‘Shooter’ (Chris) Dunn. He’s been with WWE before. He’s now with BZZR. BZZR seems like a great platform,” he said. “I’m a huge Texas Rangers fan and the Rangers have partnered with BZZR. My grandfather was blind but before he passed away and for several years he used to listen to the Rangers on the radio every afternoon and every night and I’d go over and sit there with him.

“I’m huge Ranger fan because of that and they’re working with BZZR so it kinda got my interest because the Texas Rangers are involved with them but it seems like such a wonderful platform so I’m glad to be involved.”

JBL makes his entrance during WWE RAW at American Airlines Center on January 20, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. (WWE / Getty Images)

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Layfield said one feature spoke to him specifically – keeping the platform about sports only.

BZZR calls itself “the world’s first streaming and social media platform built exclusively for sports without any nonsense or slop.”

“Isn’t that amazing? You actually go on something and you don’t expect anyone to tell you, ‘You suck’ or you ‘look stupid’ or you don’t know anything about anything. ‘Remember back in the 1930s there a big,’ No. I don’t actually remember because I have a life,” he told Fox News Digital.

“It’s unbelievable. I don’t know what you do with the social media but the one thing BZZR is doing, which is great, I think you have to have your name on there, you have to have your picture. The people that hide behind psyedonyms or can become keyword warriors – it gives people a voice that some should not have a voice. Some should but some should not.”

John “Bradshaw” Layfield (center) with US troops during a press conference announcing WWE’s return to Iraq to entertain troops for the holidays, November 21, 2006, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. (Shane Gritzinger / FilmMagic)

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Layfield was the 20th Triple Crown champion in WWE history and 10th Grand Slam champion. He’s also appeared as a commentator for AAA Lucha Libre Worldwide.

Prince Naseem Hamed sees Muhammad Ali as the all-time greatest boxer, on par with another legend who matched his penchant for chasing career-defining challenges.

While known largely for his immeasurable impact outside the ring, Ali showcased a remarkable degree of fighting spirit and intelligence whenever he stepped through the ropes.

Not only that, but the American never shied away from a formidable challenge, including those against the likes of George Foreman, Joe Frazier and Ken Norton.

Against ‘Big George’, in fact, Ali was considered a sizable underdog, only to score an eighth-round stoppage and claim the WBC world heavyweight title.

It is partly for this reason that many believe ‘The Greatest’ lived up to his moniker, rivalling Sugar Ray Robinson as the most celebrated fighter in history.

The former multi-time world welterweight and middleweight champion is perhaps best known for his compelling rivalry with Jake LaMotta, winning five of their six encounters.

Robinson also defeated nine other boxers who later became Hall of Famers, including Randolph Turpin, who pulled off an almighty upset in 1951 before losing their immediate rematch.

Eventually retiring with an extraordinary record of 174-19-6 (109), ‘Sugar Ray’ is considered by featherweight legend Hamed – who shared his thoughts with Radio Rahim – as the joint-Greatest of All Time.

“It’s either Sugar Ray Robinson or Muhammad Ali. They’re just set in stone – that will never change.

“In my eyes, though, the [most intelligent] person to ever come into the boxing game is Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather.”

While singing the praises of Ali and Robinson, ‘Naz’ credits Mayweather more for his financial earnings, rather than putting him in the ‘GOAT’ conversation.