Eight years on from their ‘Fight of the Century’ clash and Manny Pacquiao has announced a surprise rematch with Floyd Mayweather.
The 45-year-old Filipino fighter, who remains the only boxer in history to have won twelve major world titles in eight different weight divisions, is set to be a busy man in 2024.
He will face off against kickboxing and Muay Thai legend Buakaw ‘The White Lotus’ Banchamek on April 20 at the Impact Arena in Bangkok – a contest that will consist of six three-minute rounds.
Pacquiao has been tipped to make a triumphant return to boxing for some time, with Conor McGregor recently calling out the eight-division world champion to fight him in Saudi Arabia.
And it appears Pacquiao will go head-to-head with old foe Floyd Mayweather in what will likely be a fascinating rematch.
Speaking at the MMA event Rizin 45 this weekend, Pacquiao addressed the crowd in Japan with his announcement.
“I hope to see you in Japan in a big fight against… Floyd Mayweather,” he said, after getting permission to reveal his opponent.
“I thought you wouldn’t want me to say that. I am excited. Thank you for always supporting ‘RIZIN’ promotions.”
As you can see from the footage below, Pacquiao’s revelation received little-to-no reaction from the thousands in attendance at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan.
Nobuyuki Sakakibara, the president of RIZIN, also confirmed Mayweather vs Pacquiao II will take place on one of their cards, although details surrounding the bout are yet to emerge.
As mentioned earlier, Conor McGregor repeatedly called out Pacquiao for a boxing or UFC fight as he watched ‘The Day of Reckoning’ event featuring Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder.
The former featherweight and lightweight UFC champion, who hasn’t competed since suffering a broken leg in a defeat to Dustin Poirier in July 2021, sat next to Cristiano Ronaldo as he issued the call-out.
“I love Manny, tell Manny to grow a set of balls,” he said. “Tell Manny to grow a set of balls and fight me at a higher weight.
“Why not? It’s his sport. If he wants me to come down to a smaller weight he should let me use more of my weapons.
“I should be able to kick, I should be able to grapple. Shouldn’t that be fair? Say it to him, is he a man or a mouse? Is Manny a man or a mouse?”
UNREAL SCENES! 🤩
"Who's winning this one?!"
Conor McGregor chops it up with Cristiano Ronaldo and compares watches ⌚ 😅
Speaking to heavyweight boxer Derek Chisora later on in the night, McGregor said: “How about me vs Manny here in Saudi. How does that sound to you?”
“Wouldn’t you think Manny should have to come up to my weight, considering it’s his sport. Wouldn’t you think that’s what a man would do versus what a mouse would do.”
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are set to fight next month to crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis.
Usyk brings the WBA, WBO and IBF belts to the table, pitted against Fury’s WBC for the historic contest that will, in many minds, show the best of a generation.
With two tricky styles, the fight could be won on game-plan alone, and thus a lot of eyes are on how each man prepares. Someone who knows them in the gym well is Martin Bakole.
The heavyweight contender is a regular sparring partner of Fury’s – although not for this particular bout – and has claimed to have stopped Usyk in the gym in the past.
Speaking to IFL TV, Bakole said he can see a path to victory for both of his former sparring partners but ultimately sat on the fence when it comes to the final result.
This is a hard question. Very hard question. 50/50. On points I can see Usyk, and knockout, it maybe a surprise, but the Gypsy King. Because he has to fix his mistakes, you know, people judge him against Ngannou. Imagine if he stops Usyk, they will say that the Ngannou fight was a little bit of a mistake, he didn’t take it serious.”
“It’s so hard because I know Usyk is world class. Top class movement. But the Gypsy King … I’ll go draw for me.”
Whilst Usyk has put an open call out for sparring partners who feel they can emulate the giant Brit, Fury’s camp has spoken to cruiserweight king Jai Opetaia as well as rising heavyweight star Moses Itauma.
Many fans feel both men showed vulnerabilities in their last outings, making this one, set for Riyadh on February 17, all the more intriguing.
American Simone Biles said she felt like a failure following a disappointing 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Biles was aiming for six gold medals at the Games, which took place in 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Instead, the 26-year-old won a silver and bronze as she suffered with the ‘twisties’, which gymnasts describe as a kind of mental block, in Japan.
“I wish I could sit here and tell you it was glorious,” Biles told Vanity Fair magazine., external
“When I took a break after 2016 [Rio Olympics], I had the time of my life. I was doing anything and everything.
“But after 2020, it was kind of depressing until I started therapy and got help.
“I felt like a failure.”
Biles won four gold medals at the Games in Rio as she won the all-round, vault, floor and team events.
In Tokyo, she won a silver in the team event and bronze in the beam but pulled out of four events to prioritise her mental health as she struggled with the ‘twisties’.
“Even though I was empowering so many people and speaking out about mental health, every time I talked about my experience in Tokyo – because it obviously didn’t go the way that I had planned – it stung a little bit. But all in all, it was the best decision,” added Biles.
She returned to gymnastics following a two-year break when she won the all-round title at the US Classic.
Biles went on to win four gold medals at the World Championships in Belgium in 2023 and, in winning her second, became the most decorated gymnast in history with a total of 34 world and Olympic medals.
On making the Olympics in Paris this year, she said: “If I don’t make it to Paris, it won’t absolutely crush me.”
British number one Cameron Norrie made a winning start at the Auckland Classic and Jack Draper produced a stunning comeback to progress in Adelaide.
Norrie, runner-up last year in the city where he grew up, defeated Frenchman Luca Van Assche 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 6-1.
Draper survived two match points to beat Miomir Kecmanovic in three sets – but Dan Evans lost to Alexander Bublik.
Cameron Norrie has won five titles on the ATP Tour
Meanwhile, in pre-Australian Open exhibition matches, Andy Murray lost to Marin Cilic and Emma Raducanu withdrew.
Raducanu, who had pulled out of a charity match in Melbourne on Tuesday, decided the following day that she would no longer play 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva at the Kooyong Classic on Thursday as she continues to feel some soreness in her first weeks back on tour.
That is not expected to affect the 2021 US Open champion’s participation at the Australian Open, where she is set to make her Grand Slam return after missing much of 2023 following ankle and wrist surgeries.
At the Kooyong Classic, former world number one Murray was defeated 6-3 7-5 by Croatia’s former US Open champion Cilic as the Scot’s losing start to the year continued.
Murray, 36, was beaten in the opening round of the Brisbane International earlier this month and told BBC Sport a fortnight ago that this year could be his final one on the tour if it proved to be as challenging as the end to last season.
The three-time Grand Slam champion, who won just two matches in his final five events of last year, will face 2020 US champion Dominic Thiem in another exhibition match on Thursday.
There were wins for Britons Harriet Dart, Francesca Jones and Oliver Crawford in Australian Open qualifying – but Heather Watson and Jan Choinski saw their hopes of competing at the first major of the year ended.
The draw for the 2024 Australian Open takes place in Melbourne on Thursday (02:00 GMT).
An emotional Norrie was close to tears after losing his second Auckland final to France’s Richard Gasquet one year ago.
The 28-year-old, who has a Scottish dad and Welsh mum, was born in South Africa and brought up in New Zealand – the nation he represented as a junior.
Also beaten by American Tennys Sandgren in the 2019 title decider, the world number 19 was made to work hard at the start of his latest bid for a trophy he would like to win so dearly.
Norrie missed a match point in the tie-break of a second set edged by teenager Van Assche, who then broke at the start of the decider.
But Norrie responded emphatically to that setback and closed out the match in impressive fashion by winning six consecutive games.
“I think it was exactly what I needed. I had to fight hard and the crowd got behind me,” said Norrie, who plays Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo in the last eight.
“It’s the match I needed before Australia. This is a special tournament for me.”
Draper, 22, had to come through a serious examination but displayed great endurance as he outlasted the higher-ranked Kecmanovic to set up a quarter-final against American top seed Tommy Paul.
After Draper conceded a tight first set when he lost serve in the 12th game, the second continued into a tie-break in which the 55th-ranked Serb rallied from 5-2 down to reach match point.
But, on the brink of defeat when trailing 8-7 and then 9-8, world number 62 Draper clinched his fourth set point to force a decider.
Another recovery was required as that too went the distance, with Draper heading for defeat at 4-1 down in the concluding tie-break.
The Briton won five of the next six points to reach match point for the first time and he closed out an epic contest at the third opportunity to win a 5-7 7-6 (11-9) 7-6 (9-7) after three hours and 39 minutes.
However, British number two Evans was unable to join Draper in the last eight after losing 4-6 6-2 6-1 to Kazakh eighth seed Bublik.
Making his return from injury in Adelaide following the calf tear he sustained in Vienna in October, Evans, who impressed in his opening win on Tuesday, made a promising start to take the first set against the world number 31.
But the match unravelled rapidly for the 40th-ranked Evans after he fell a break of serve down in the second set, with Bublik cruising to victory by winning 10 of the last 11 games.
Dart, Jones & Crawford win in Melbourne
Dart could meet Cypriot Raluca Georgiana Serban or Czech player Gabriela Knutson in the final qualifying round
Dart was among five Britons to begin their bid for a place in the Australian Open main draw on Wednesday, after rain prevented any matches taking place at the start of the week.
The British number three, ranked 114th, defeated Italy’s Nuria Brancaccio 6-2 7-6 (7-4) and will face Ukraine’s Yulia Starodubtseva in the second of three qualifying rounds.
Jones also progressed with a 6-2 6-4 win over Margaux Rouvroy of France to set up a meeting with German teenager Ella Seidel, but Watson lost 6-4 6-3 to Swiss player Lulu Sun.
In the men’s draw, Crawford, who last week switched from representing the United States, defeated Belarusian Ilya Ivashka 6-3 3-6 6-1.
Italian Francesco Passaro is up next for Crawford, who joins Billy Harris and Ryan Peniston in the second round.
However, Choinski is out following a 6-4 6-0 loss to Lebanese-German player Benjamin Hassan.
Rybakina & Pegula win in Adelaide, Alcaraz beaten
In an exhibition match at Melbourne Park, men’s world number two Carlos Alcaraz lost out in a match tie-break against Australia’s 10th-ranked Alex de Minaur, who delighted his home crowd with a 6-4 5-7 10-3 victory.
World number three Elena Rybakina, runner-up at last year’s Australian Open, continued her preparations for this year’s tournament by beating Spaniard Cristina Bucsa 6-3 7-5 at the Adelaide International.
Second seed Jessica Pegula also progressed but had to come from a set down to beat fellow American Bernarda Pera 4-6 6-2 6-3.
Elsewhere, 21-year-old American top seed Ben Shelton – a potential final opponent for Norrie – reached the quarter-finals at the Auckland Classic by beating Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan 6-3 6-4.
At the Hobart International, Belgian top seed Elise Mertens won 6-2 6-3 against Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova to reach the last eight.
But 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin lost 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 to Australian Daria Saville.
One of the sport’s few stars is back on the court. That doesn’t guarantee the sport has learned from its mistakes
Naomi Osaka is a lot of things. She’s a woman. She’s a mom. She’s great at her job. She’s Black. She’s Asian. And when you’re more than what simple people can comprehend, they usually don’t know how to treat you. Here’s to tennis learning from their mistakes when it comes to Osaka — but we shouldn’t hold our breath.
Earlier this week, Osaka won her first competitive match since the Fall of 2022, 6-3, 7-6 (9), over Tamara Korpatsch at the Brisbane International. Osaka hasn’t been around much. Coming into the week she’d only played one competitive match since the 2022 U.S. Open.
“It’s a big change overnight,” Osaka said about returning to the sport as a mother. “For me, I love it a lot because, in a way, I would say (Shai, her daughter), has helped me grow up so much so quickly.
“Off the court, I’m more aware of people and I appreciate them a lot more — even my opponents and everything,” she added. “On the court, it’s just helping me be strong and staying in the moment more.”
In case you forgot, ever since she came on the scene, tennis has gone out of its way to let Osaka know they don’t want her around.
She’s been heckled, which makes no sense given how great she is at tennis, on top of the fact that tennis is supposed to be a “sophisticated” sport with decorum.
Other greats within the sport have taken shots at her, like when Novak Djokovic did it because Osaka wanted to pay a fine rather than do press conferences after matches. And certain “media members” haven’t had any tact when asking questions.
“You are not crazy about dealing with us, especially in this format, yet you have a lot of outside interests that are served by having a media platform,” Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer asked in 2021. “When you say I’m ‘not crazy about dealing with you guys,’ Osaka responded, “what does that refer to?” Osaka was pointing to how Daugherty had started a question with “You are not crazy” when addressing someone who’d become one of the faces of mental health in sports at the time. This is the same woman whose introduction to one of the biggest stages in the sport was met with boos, as people were mad when she defeated Serena Williams in the 2018 U.S. Open.
“I just want to tell you guys, she played well and this is her first Grand Slam,” Williams tearfully said that day. “Let’s make this the best moment we can.”
It’s no surprise that Osaka stepped away from the game in 2021 for her own mental health, and took her time with her pregnancy and returning to tennis as a mother.
As Osaka transitions back to being a full-time player on the circuit — if that’s what she ultimately decides to do — she will be back playing a sport that is still led by a Black woman, as Coco Gauff is the new “it” girl. The $22.7 million that Gauff made in 2023 means that she was the highest-paid female athlete.
Osaka’s run in Australia ended when she lost in the second round, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, to Karolina Pliskova. “The week is definitely shorter than I wanted it to be,” she said. “I feel like I’m pretty good where I am right now. Even the last time I played her, I think I played better today.” She went on to say that she viewed the tournament as a “personal win” because she was “doubting if I could play with everyone,” just weeks prior.
“I’ve trained so hard since giving birth, I need to enjoy these moments,” she explained. “I do feel different. I mean, of course I feel sad, but the sadness is me being like, ‘Aww, I wish I could have done better, because I know I’m spending so much time away from her (Shai), so I want it to be worth it somehow.” Motherhood has changed Naomi Osaka. I just hope tennis has changed enough to stop hating on her.
The entrepreneurial Pau Gasol has just announced a new business initiative with the launch of Consello Strive, where the Spanish sports legend aims to bring together sport, entertainment and leadership development on a single platform.
He will do so with an extraordinary team: Tom Brady and Serena Williams, world sports legends, who also serve as founding partners in this unique Dream Team, specializing in guidance, investment and content management in the aforementioned fields.
“I have seen firsthand the lasting impact that sports can have both on and off the court,” Gasol said in a press release.
“Joining Consello Strive as a partner is a natural step for me given my passion for growth and impactful change, aspects that I am already addressing through Gasol16 Ventures, my investment vehicle, and the Gasol Foundation, whose mission is to eradicate childhood obesity.”
Who is involved in the cast of legends?
Tom Brady, seven-time Super Bowl champion and co-founder of Consello, as well as Serena Williams, winner of 23 Grand Slam tennis titles, are among a cast of partners for the new company, along with Declan Kelly, Janey Whiteside, Peter Mattoon, Dr. Oscar Salazar and Mindy Grossman, among others.
“Since the beginning of our journey at Consello,” Brady said. “Our mission has been very clear: to make the best in the world even better. With Consello Strive, we have brought together top leaders to mentor people in sports and entertainment in ways that have never been experienced before.”
Serena Williams, meanwhile, celebrated “being able to collaborate with emerging leaders, especially young women, to help them achieve their goals and dreams.”
What exactly is Consello Strive?
The group handles trading assets and investment plans in several industries and aims to create sustainable and profitable growth over time. It also specializes in advising in an even greater span of fields, focusing on strategy plans and strategic decision making.
It’s described as the first of its kind in the whole world to exist, at least on a global scale, and thus it could evolve over time and develop into something new or continue to add new categories and services to its roster.
“Consello Strive seeks to empower those investing or trading assets in the sports, media and entertainment space to maximize their business potential and create sustainable value over time,” read a statement by Gasol16 Ventures.
“Consello offers comprehensive advice to optimize the evolution of investments, businesses, leagues, teams or brand strategies, as well as in making decisions related to technology, infrastructure and commercial agreements, among other disciplines.”
They say never meet your heroes. But would anyone want to miss the chance to meet Mike Tyson? Of course, not! A die-hard Tyson fan went to meet his hero with his tattoo dedicated to the boxer but would have returned home disappointed. What happened between Tyson and the fan?
Well, nothing. And that’s the problem. Tyson didn’t seem to notice the fan or his tattoo which was Tyson’s photo. A clip of the same went viral and social media users shared their thoughts about the incident.
Fan receives disappointing reaction from Mike Tyson
‘Boxing n BBQ’ shared the video and wrote in the caption, “I’m going to tell myself the GOAT didn’t see it.” In the clip, the fan can be seen approaching Tyson with his sleeves folded up and a beautiful tattoo of the boxer was on full display.
The fan attempted to show ‘Kid Dynamite’ the tattoo and wanted a picture but to no avail. Mike Tyson simply seemed too distracted and didn’t notice the fan or his tattoo as he walked past him.
It’s worth mentioning that by the vibe of the event, it’s likely but not confirmed that Mike Tyson was there promoting his popular Tyson 2.0 cannabis products. The same is further corroborated by Adam Wilks’ presence, who can be seen walking behind the former heavyweight champion.
Mike Tyson may have been distracted but Twitter users were not!
Responding to the clip, some fans suggested Mike Tyson could not see the tattoo due to the crowd, while others questioned if the fan would get the tattoo removed after the incident. There were also people who simply appreciated the tattoo for its artistic value.
Mike Tyson may have been distracted but Twitter users were not!
Responding to the clip, some fans suggested Mike Tyson could not see the tattoo due to the crowd, while others questioned if the fan would get the tattoo removed after the incident. There were also people who simply appreciated the tattoo for its artistic value.
However, a user insinuated the fan would be hurt as Mike Tyson did not acknowledge his love.
https://x.com/AHern39/status/1742057961302917553?s=20
Further, another user had a different idea as to why Mike did not react. They claimed ‘Iron’ Mike could have been uncomfortable about the tattoo.
https://x.com/WritingYogi/status/1742028366692143323?s=20
Many social media users stated that the retired boxer looked preoccupied and didn’t see the tattoo. By the looks of the video, it does seem highly possible.
One user gave props to the tattoo, claiming it was “fire”. While Tyson didn’t notice the work of art, the internet did!
Given the fact that Mike Tyson has six tattoos on his entire body, the chances of him getting offended by the tattoo are low. However, what are your thoughts on the matter – do you think Tyson ignored the fan knowingly?
In the world of gymnastics, names do not come much bigger than Simone Biles.
So for the USA athlete to single out Amari Drayton for credit over social media sensation Olivia Dunne, it would need to be something quite spectacular.
The four-time Olympic gold medalist knows what it takes to produce a special routine under pressure and Drayton delivered the goods when the Louisiana State University (LSU) freshman performed at the annual Gym 101.
At the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Friday, January 5, the LSU Gymnasts made a strong impression ahead of the 2024 season by showcasing 50 routines.
Drayton was only a last-minute replacement for one of her injured team-mates, but she stepped up to the plate in her first bars routine and finished with an impressive score of 9.925 – helping LSU beat Ohio State.
Taking to social media, Biles, 26, wrote on X: “That’s our girl, so proud of you amari.”
Simone Biles ignores Olivia Dunne
The excitement for the No. 3 LSU Tigers gymnastics team is usually generated whenever Olivia Dunne taking the mat.
Having graced the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit and featuring in Forbes, Dunne is a global phenomenon already, with her mind-blowing tricks and flips always catching the eye.
But it was clear that during this particular close contest, the spotlight was focused on Drayton after her decisive routine and rightly so, with her coach Jay Clark praising her incredible display.
“We got to see a freshman do something spectacular,” he said, according to NOLA. “Amari came through for us. It was also a brand new vault she’d never done [scoring another 9.925] and she didn’t know she was going in until after beam and got a 9.925.”
Speaking about her performance, Drayton stated that she was happy to have been given the chance to compete, saying: “It didn’t feel real. I was just really happy I got to compete out there.”
The LSU gymnasts will be back on the mat for the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad meet in West Valley City, Utah.
Kazakhstan’s top seed Elena Rybakina defeated world’s No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus with a 6-0, 6-3 score to clinch the Brisbane International on Jan. 7, reported the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).
Rybakina expressed her sentiments on the court after receiving the Evonne Goolagong Cawley Trophy from former world No. 3 Wendy Turnbull, acknowledging the challenge of playing against her opponent despite the score.
“We always push each other, and I think that is great. We improve this way, so hopefully, we continue,” said Rybakina.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated Rybakina, who is also the 2022 Wimbledon champion, on her confident victory at the prestigious tournament in Australia and wished her new sporting achievements.
Anna Danilina, Viktória Hrunčáková.
Rybakina, who will now become world No. 3, was awarded the unusual title of Baker of the Week for Week 1 of the 2024 WTA season, acknowledging her achievement as the player who won the most sets with a score of 6-0/6-1 during that week.
Kazakh tennis player Anna Danilina rose ten places to 44th in the WTA doubles ranking after her triumph at the WTA 250 ASB Classic Auckland tournament in New Zealand.
Danilina, paired with Viktória Hrunčáková from Slovakia, beat the American-Czech pair Bethanie Mattek-Sands/Marie Bouzková in the final.
Coco Gauff hilariously confessed to being duped by a fabricated quote falsely attributed to her while clearing the air on whether her 2024 Australian Open outfit was inspired by Serena Williams.
With the Australian Open set to commence on Sunday, January 14, images of Gauff’s outfit for the Melbourne Slam began circulating on social media. The American is set to wear two ensembles from the New Balance x Australian Open collection. The first features a yellow top and skirt, outlined in navy, while the second reverses the colors – a navy top and skirt with yellow accents.
With the 19-year-old’s kit generating considerable excitement on social media, one fan used the opportunity to playfully dupe tennis fans into believing that the outfit was inspired by Serena Williams.
The fan posted a picture of Williams in a kit with a similar color scheme and shared a quote falsely attributed to Gauff, expressing her desire to channel her “inner Serena” with the attire.
“With this kit, I definitely wanted to channel my inner Serena. She is an inspiration on and off the court so this one is for her… it even has the lil crop top she had,” the fan posted on X.
With several users being duped by the fan’s post, the fan eventually admitted their disbelief that so many people bought into their claim.
Coco Gauff commented on the fan’s post and hilariously revealed that she, too, was “fooled” by the post. She divulged that she had even passed it along to her agent, as she had no recollection of ever making such a statement.
The 19-year-old clarified that her Australian Open outfit wasn’t inspired by Serena Williams. However, she expressed her love for the 23-time Grand Slam champion and hailed her as a “fashion queen.”
“You had me fooled. I even sent the tweet to my agent, and I was like “I don’t remember ever saying this?” nothing wrong with it ya’ll know I love Serena it wasn’t inspired by her kit. She is a fashion queen tho!! I just literally thought I was going crazy for two mins hahaha,” Coco Gauff commented.
“Coco Gauff talks about it all the time” – Jill Craybas on how ‘idols’ Venus and Serena Williams influenced the US Open champion
On a recent episode of the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast, Jill Craybas emphasized the profound impact that Coco Gauff’s “idols” Venus and Serena Williams had on her.
She attributed the 19-year-old expressive nature to the positive influence of the Williams sisters.
“I mean, Coco Gauff talks about it all the time, how much of idols they (Venus and Serena Williams) were to her, and look at her now, like she has been able to let herself shine and be open,” Craybas said (at 24:33).
Craybas further pointed out that, despite her young age, Gauff had embraced the role of inspiring the next generation, following in the footsteps of the Williams sisters.
“And she’s so well spoken. Now she’s at such a young age, having that impact on the younger generation that is coming up now, and she’s still very young herself,” she added.
Coco Gauff kicked off her 2024 season with a successful title defense at the ASB Classic, triumphing over Elina Svitolina in the final. She will be back in action at the Australian Open, where she will commence her quest for her second Grand Slam title.
