Carl Froch has assessed whether Deontay Wilder, from both a financial and legacy perspective, is the right opponent for Oleksandr Usyk at this stage of his illustrious career.

The two heavyweights are in talks for a potential clash under Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing banner, with Usyk having vacated his WBC, IBF and WBA world titles.

This announcement came around a month after his encounter with Rico Verhoeven, who gave a surprisingly strong account of himself when they collided in May.

In the end, Usyk stopped the former kickboxing champion in round 11, but was made to work exceptionally hard to emerge victorious.

Perhaps realising that he is no longer the formidable force of old, the 39-year-old has since relinquished his belts and declared that he only has one fight left.

In terms of possible opponents, Wilder is seemingly the frontrunner, with the former WBC champion coming off a split decision victory over Derek Chisora in April.

Having previously scored two respective victories over Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, Usyk is yet to face the American, who would afford him the opportunity to enhance his supremacy as a modern heavyweight great.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Froch On Fighting, the Hall of Famer expressed no qualms about a showdown between Usyk and the 40-year-old Wilder.

“[Wilder’s] a big name, and he didn’t look bad against Chisora. I know Chisora and Wilder are both pretty much finished, but Wilder looked all right.

“That would be a legacy fight for Oleksandr Usyk to finish [his career and] make a right few quid. He’ll make tens of millions for a fight that, really, he’s going to be a massive favourite for.”

By vacating his WBC title, Usyk has avoided a mandated contest with Agit Kabayel and, in effect, elevated the likelihood of a Wilder fight.

It is not the first time England have been accused of becoming too defensive in key games.

It was a similar situation under former manager Gareth Southgate when they went 1-0 in front against Italy in the Euro 2021 final before conceding an equaliser and losing on penalties.

Under Southgate, England also lost a World Cup semi-final to Croatia in 2018 and were beaten by Spain in the Euro 2024 final.

Opta stats show that, since 1998, England have been eliminated every time they have faced a top-10 ranked nation in the knockout stages of the World Cup.

“Going for glory doesn’t always mean you will get it,” added Bayern Munich forward Kane, who has scored six goals during the tournament.

“You have to fight for it, get knocked down, pick yourself up and go again and that’s what we will do, there’s no other way but to keep believing and keeping pushing.”

England started their World Cup campaign with a 4-2 win against Croatia after the game was tied at 2-2 at the break.

Following the game, Kane said the team’s improved second-half performance came after Tuchel had told them “if we lose, we lose in our way” in his half-time team talk.

England drew 0-0 with Ghana and beat Panama 2-0 to finish top of their group before coming from a goal down to beat DR Congo 2-1 in the last 32.

They went down to 10-men against Mexico but earned a hard-fought 3-2 win against the co-hosts before beating Norway 2-1 after extra-time prior to the game against Argentina.

The Three Lions now face a third-place play-off match against France, who were beaten by Spain in the other semi-final, on Saturday (22:00 BST).

England attacking midfielder Jude Bellingham, like Kane, scored six goals as he starred during the tournament.

He said he “was really struggling to find the right words” following England’s exit but shared a four-page poem titled ‘The Lions Way’, written by the team’s driver Michael Chandler, which “pretty much hits the nail on the head”.

The poem finished with the line ” a soul made strong, a soul assured” as Bellingham also called for “unity”, external following England’s defeat.

“Don’t let the unity and love we’ve seen in our country end with this campaign. When we’re together we can achieve big things,” the Real Madrid player said.

Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers set up Gordon for England’s opener against Argentina and said he was “devastated” following the defeat.

“We gave so much to reach this far and for it to end the way it did hurts,” he said., external

“We shared memories that will last for a lifetime and I lived a childhood dream to represent my country at a World Cup. We will be back, mark my words.”

Gordon, who has moved from Newcastle United to Barcelona, added: “I genuinely thought this was our time to win after waiting so many years but it wasn’t to be and it’s going to hurt for a while.

“I’ve never wanted to win so badly, not just for the trophy but for everything we built as a group and what it would have meant for England.”

Amid speculation that the series-deciding third and final ODI against England would be Rohit Sharma’s last international game, former India player Parthiv Patel has said that he expects the ex-captain to roar back to form with a defining hundred that would silence critics. Rohit, it is learnt, has been told by the national selectors that he is not in the scheme of things for the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. This has given rise to the possibility of Rohit either announcing retirement or being dropped for good after Sunday’s game.

He has already retired from Tests and T20 Internationals.

“If the Lord’s ODI is indeed the last match of his career, Rohit Sharma would want to sign off with a century. He is more than capable of doing that. We’ve seen it throughout his career – after two or three low scores, he often bounces back with a match-winning knock in the very next innings,” Patel told ‘JioStar’.

“The difference between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma has always been consistency. Rohit may not score heavily in every game, but when he does, he plays a substantial innings and often ends up winning the Player of the Match award. He didn’t look comfortable in this game,” he added referring to the lost second ODI in which Rohit scored a 47-ball 26.

Patel acknowledged that Rohit was troubled by the variable bounce in Cardiff and never found his rhythm.

“But this is another opportunity for him to silence his critics. It has happened many times before, and he has always responded with the bat. So, if the Lord’s ODI is indeed his final match, I hope he plays an innings that people remember for a long time,” the former wicketkeeper-batter said.

Former India captain Anil Kumble, while steering clear of the speculation surrounding the senior batter, spoke about how similar his approach is to England star Joe Root and Virat Kohli.

“What makes Root, Kohli, and Rohit so successful is that their run-scoring looks effortless. They don’t premeditate. They react to the ball. They play low-risk, high-reward cricket rather than high-risk, high-reward cricket. When you have that kind of class, grace, and mindset, it makes life easier for the entire team,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Featured Video Of The Day

Haaland Memes | “It’s A Special & Funny Game”: Haaland Ahead Of Quarterfinals Against England

Another night with Argentina, another unforgettable night for Lautaro Martinez. The Albiceleste booked their place in the World Cup final with a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over England, sealed by the decisive goal from Inter‘s captain. It was a gripping semi-final, full of twists and driven by the intensity and fighting spirit that define Argentina. With the reigning world champions seemingly heading for elimination as late as the 85th minute, they somehow found the strength to turn the game around. It is in moments like these that Lautaro has grown and thrived. Endless determination, relentless hunger and an unwavering desire to compete are the qualities that the Nerazzurri fans have come to know and love throughout his eight years at Inter. Giving everything and never giving up has always been El Toro’s mantra, and Argentina’s too. Lautaro has always left everything on the pitch, until the very last drop of sweat. He has done so in each of his 376 appearances for Inter, and he has done the same in all 84 matches for the Albiceleste. He did it in Qatar in 2022, a World Cup in which he did not score but still proved decisive with the winning penalty in the shootout against the Netherlands and with his influential cameo in the final, injecting fresh energy into Argentina’s attack. He has done so again throughout this World Cup in North America. Lautaro has scored three goals, provided the decisive assist against Egypt and changed the course of Argentina’s knockout matches every time Scaloni has called upon him.His 40th international goal, just one behind Sergio Aguero in Argentina’s all-time scoring charts, is unlike any other. A match-winning goal against England in a World Cup semi-final completed with a dramatic comeback is the kind of moment that defines a career. That is why the tears and emotion on Lautaro’s face at the final whistle needed no explanation. Still, he tried his best to put those feelings into words in his post-match interview.

An inspired Lionel Messi was instrumental in in defeating England and help Argentina reach back-to-back World Cup finals.

The Pumas, who host England this week, have also delivered regularly at Rugby World Cups, reaching three semi-finals over the past five tournaments.

Advertisement

Head coach Felipe Contepomi played in the 2007 World Cup when Argentina reached the final four for the first time – a run that included wins over France, Ireland and Scotland.

That success, followed by semi-final appearances in 2015 and 2023, helped increase rugby’s popularity in a country dominated by football and Messi mania.

“Amateur rugby here in Argentina is booming,” Contepomi told BBC Sport.

“It’s very community-based rugby and the clubs are growing. We have more and more people every year.

“It is not comparable with football because I always say rugby is a sport, football is a religion for an Argentinian.

Advertisement

“The dimension is completely different. Even myself, I live for rugby, but football is still in my skin.”

Historically, most of Argentina’s internationals have come through private schools in the country’s rugby heartlands.

Buenos Aires, where Contepomi and captain Julian Montoya were born, remains the biggest rugby hub, while Tucuman – not far from Saturday’s venue in Santiago del Estero – is the only place where, according to Contepomi, “rugby is bigger than football”.

“The good thing is that rugby started in Argentina among the middle class and upper middle class, but now it’s played in every social class,” said the former Leinster fly-half.

Advertisement

“It is played in every corner of the country, not only in Buenos Aires but in every province.”

Argentina’s World Cup success is even more remarkable given the country has no professional club team.

The Jaguares competed in Super Rugby between 2016 and 2020 before folding because of financial problems.

Since 2019, however, the semi-professional Super Rugby Americas has provided a pathway for emerging talent.

One recent success story is Leicester Tigers back-row Joaquin Moro, who joined from Pampas XV and started last season’s Prem semi-final in his debut campaign.

“Super Rugby Americas is growing every year and I think that’s a good pathway for developing professional habits and preparing players,” Contepomi said.

Advertisement

“In the last two years I think we’ve had around 20 players come through those franchises and go on to play for the Pumas.”

The goal is to be ‘consistently in the top four’

“Excellence, consistency and resilience.” Those were the words Contepomi used to describe how Messi’s greatness as an athlete motivates his side.

The key word being consistency.

Argentina are ranked seventh in the world and were outclassed by Scotland in their opening Nations Championship fixture, despite beating them in November.

A much-improved performance against Wales now tees up their final game of this block against Steve Borthwick’s England.

Advertisement

The Pumas, who beat New Zealand and Australia in last year’s Rugby Championship, only had three training sessions together before their defeat by Scotland because of the logistical challenges of having the majority of their squad playing across both hemispheres.

“Those are our challenges and that’s our reality,” the Argentina head coach added.

“We don’t use it as an excuse. It’s simply our reality and we have to make the best of it.

“We would love to be consistently in the world’s top four, and that’s what we’re working towards through our behaviours, our habits and the way we come together as a team.

Advertisement

“As you said, we’ve reached the semi-finals at the last few World Cups. But to truly be a top-four team, you need to prove it every year by finishing the year in the top four of the world rankings.”

‘I have nothing against Curry’

Borthwick’s side, without their British and Irish Lions, won twice in Argentina last summer to seal a series victory, extending their winning run over the Pumas to five matches.

Their record – one win in the past 16 meetings with England – needs to improve if they want to become a regular top-four side.

They welcome England to Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades, where they have played twice at the 30,000-capacity stadium, which opened in 2021, and won both matches, against Scotland and South Africa.

Advertisement

“It’s very close to Tucuman, which is a huge rugby province. I’d expect a proper rugby crowd,” the 48-year-old added.

“Hopefully, if we give them a reason to shout and sing, Argentinians are Latin people – we make noise and we love supporting our teams. Hopefully it’ll be a noisy crowd.”

The last meeting between the teams, in November, ended in a heated exchange, with Contepomi calling England flanker Tom Curry, who is on the bench for Saturday’s game, a “bully” who swore at him and pushed him in the tunnel at Allianz Stadium.

The former 87-cap fly-half described the game as one of the “big rivalries” for his side, but not because of any off-field altercations.

Advertisement

“Tom Curry is a world-class player. That’s the only thing I can say,” Contepomi added.

“If I said something that hurt or offended him, I apologise publicly. But I have nothing against him.

“There was an incident in the heat of the moment, but I don’t take it personally and I don’t want to make anything personal with Tom because I’m sure he’s a great lad as well.”

Given a bid to host the 2035 Rugby World Cup is being pressed forward by Argentina, the nation’s love for the sport could explode.

More wins over England will also help.

Retired British heavyweight David Price has made his prediction ahead of the huge clash between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua who are set to collide later this year.

Fury and Joshua have been linked to one another for a decade now, but it finally seems as though the pair will meet in a long-awaited scrap that could prove to be the biggest in the history of British boxing. Although, it may not happen in Britain, unless it takes place in the early hours of the morning.

Yet, before those details can be ironed out, both Fury and Joshua must come through their respective warm-up bouts unscathed, as Fury faces Mariusz Wach in Thailand, whilst Joshua takes on Kristian Prenga in Riyadh.

Still, success in those fights is expected to be a formality, and Price, who was linked to a grudge match with Fury in the early days of their professional careers, told Fight Lens why he is predicting a victory for ‘The Gypsy King’. 

“I think Tyson Fury, still, I am leaning towards [him] to beat Anthony Joshua. I think that he will just outbox him for 12 rounds but I’ve always had in my head [with] that fight, that Anthony Joshua’s dangerous punches are mid-range; hooks and uppercuts. So, Fury’s just got to keep him long, all night long and tie him up inside. 

“Joshua is really good up close and can get really good leverage on his shots. Most of his knockouts are hooks, uppercuts and that type of punch – not really long right-hands.

“So, I think that Fury has got to keep him off-balance all night, all of that feinting, all of that twitching and win on points at this stage.”

Both Fury and Joshua are back in action next weekend, with Fury appearing on Friday, July 24, whilst Joshua tops a card on Saturday, July 25 that also features two world title fights.

Charlotte Flair has mapped out her dream opponents in the WWE women’s division. She was asked a bunch of questions for which she gave one answer and included all of everything. The Queen has named the stars she has her sights set on for potential singles matches where she feels the right in-ring chemistry.

The 14-time women’s champion said, live from Fanatics Fest NYC on WFAN, that she wants to lock horns with her ‘protege’ Kiana James. She mentioned that Kiana defeated her this year to qualify for the Elimination Chamber, and, as a result, she wants a one-on-one match now.

Then, a Fatal Four-Way for Queen of the Ring saw her battle with Sol Ruca, again, one star she wants a singles match with.

“So, my little protege over here, Kiana James, is gonna do big things one day. I’d love to have a singles with her. She actually beat me to go into the Elimination Chamber this year, so that didn’t go well for a couple of weeks. I was like, ‘You know, you took my spot.’ Yeah, we’re still friends. Sol Ruca. I was in a Fatal Four-Way with her to what was it for the Queen of the Ring spot, but I think a singles with her, a one-on-one with Jade. I still need to get revenge on what she did to Lexi last week. So stay tuned, everybody. Stay tuned,” said Charlotte Flair.

Then it came down to a match that could happen sooner, with Jade Cargill. Flair’s focus on Cargill is personal now, as she is to avenge Jade’s brutal assault on her best friend, Alexa Bliss.

Charlotte Flair called Jade Cargill a b***h

Alexa Bliss took on Jade Cargill in a singles match on the last SmackDown, which wrote her off with an arm injury. Alexa’s longtime ally, Charlotte Flair, is already stepping up to claim retribution. Responding to fans online, The Queen made it clear that her iconic battle with Ronda Rousey, where she landed multiple kendo stick blows on her.

That she claims was a last-minute match, and still, she gave her brutal side. This time, Flair has even more motivation to target Cargill, Michin, and B-Fab. In a response to the fan’s post, Charlotte implied she would do the same with the ‘b***’ Cargill.