Tiger Woods has a lot to celebrate.
As the golf legend’s 15-year-old son Charlie Woods—whom he shares with ex-wife Elin Nordegren—scored his first-ever hole in one during the final round of the…
Claressa Shields (16-0; 3 KOs) became the undisputed women’s heavyweight champion after defeating Danielle Perkins (5-1; 0) by unanimous decision (100-89, 99-90, 97-92) in her hometown of Flint, Michigan. Although the size difference was evident, the experience of the two-time Olympic champion and the age difference (29 to 42) was more decisive.
In any case, Shields, who proclaimed herself the ‘GWOAT’ (Greatest Woman of All Time), made history by becoming the first female boxer to be crowned undisputed champion in a third weight category. Since there are four belts, in men there are three fighters who have been in two divisions: Oleksandr Usyk, Naoya Inoue and Terence Crawford. Among the girls, Katie Taylor has ruled in two weights.
From the start, it was clear that Shields was going to take advantage of her speed. She is tough and was ready to get in and out quickly. The second round was really entertaining, as Perkins realized that her opponent was extremely effective, so in the final seconds she went all out despite the risks. In the third round there was again a lot of dynamite.
Claressa continued to dominate and even attack with the jab. In the seventh, adrenaline levels rose again. Although the result did not seem to be in danger if it went to the end, the contest remained interesting because Perkins threw punches with a lot of bad temper. However, Shields shone in the ninth and in the tenth she sent her opponent to the canvas just before the end. If there is one thing about women’s 10×2, it is that the fights are very intense.
According to the champion, she fought very depleted: “I think I’m going to have to have surgery on my left arm. I tore my labrum last week, so the fight almost didn’t happen. I didn’t want to disappoint my city, but I really couldn’t use my jab the way I wanted to,” she said.
His triumph comes just as a biographical film about his early years in boxing, entitled ‘The Fire Inside’ has been released
The Boxing Writers Association of America on Monday released the results of its annual awards naming the best fighter, fight, trainer and manager of 2024, as well as several supporting honors.
Lineal, unified and de facto undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, who defeated Tyson Fury twice in 2024, was named the BWAA Sugar Ray Robinson Fighter of the Year.
Usyk was also involved in what may be the BWAA’s other most prestigious award, the Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier Fight of the Year, which went to his first meeting with Fury. Usyk battled and defeated Fury over 12 rounds on May 18 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The Eddie Futch Trainer of the Year award went to Robert Garcia, who runs his eponymous boxing academy in Oxnard, California. In 2024, Garcia guided emerging pound-for-pound junior bantamweight star Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez and new junior middleweight interim titleholder Vergil Ortiz Jnr, among others, while helping construct the perfect game plan for Jose Valenzuela to upset Isaac Cruz in August.
Egis Klimas was named the BWAA’s Cus D’Amato Manager of the Year. Klimas manages Usyk and Vasiliy Lomachenko, who bounced back from a 2023 defeat to Devin Haney with a win over George Kambosos Jnr to win a lightweight title last May in Kambosos’ native Australia.
Full list of BWAA awards winners and nominees are as follows
Sugar Ray Robinson Fighter of the Year: Oleksandr Usyk
Additional BWAA 2024 awards winners include Bruce Silverglade (Good Guy); Marv Albert (Broadcast); Brad Goodman (Meritorious Service); Prichard Colon (Courage in Overcoming Adversity).
Artur Beterbiev
Daniel Dubois
Zurdo Ramirez
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez
Oleksandr Usyk
Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier Fight of the Year: Oleksandr Usyk W 12 Tyson Fury I
Raymond Ford KO 12 Otabek Kholmatov
Derek Chisora W 10 Joe Joyce
Vergil Ortiz Jnr W 12 Serhii Bohachuk
Kenshiro Teraji W 12 Carlos Canizales
Oleksandr Usyk W 12 Tyson Fury I
Eddie Futch Trainer of the Year: Robert Garcia
Don Charles
Freddy Fundora
Robert Garcia
Rudy Hernandez
Yuri Tkachenko
Cus D’Amato Manager of the Year: Egis Klimas
Keith Connolly
Egis Klimas
Vadim Kornilov
Brian Peters
Marvin Kohn Good Guy: Bruce Silverglade
Russ Anber
Sam Jackson/Andrew Roberts
Steve Pratt
Bruce Silverglade
Don Turner
Sam Taub Broadcast: Marv Albert
Marv Albert
Jim Gray
Dave Harmon
Mauro Ranallo
James “Smitty” Smith
Barney Nagler Long and Meritorious Service: Brad Goodman
Brad Goodman
Randy Gordon
Henry Hascup
Don Majeski
John Sheppard
John McCain & Bill Crawford Courage in Overcoming Adversity: Prichard Colon and family
Prichard Colon and family
Billy Dib
Vanes Martirosyan
Christy Martin
Ahead of Super Bowl LIX, boxer and YouTuber Jake Paul has thrown down an unusual challenge to Saquon Barkley.
The Philadelphia Eagles running back, already one of the top players in the NFL, now has an additional incentive to shine on football’s biggest stage: Paul has promised to give him one of his Ferraris if he wins Super Bowl MVP.
While Barkley doesn’t need much motivation, given his incredible talent and the opportunity to prove himself on the Super Bowl stage, Paul’s offer of a luxury sports car is an interesting twist.
“If you win the Super Bowl MVP, I think you can do it brother … I will give you one of my Ferraris.” Paul declared.
It’s a gesture that underscores Paul’s confidence in Barkley’s abilities while offering a fun, high-stakes reward for an already highly motivated player.
Super Bowl and a birthday bonus for Barkley
This year’s Super Bowl is even more significant for Barkley-it falls on his birthday. Playing for a Lombardi Trophy and celebrating his personal milestone could provide the perfect backdrop for Barkley to cement his legacy.
The Philadelphia Eagles will be taking on the Kansas City Chiefs, and Barkley’s performance could not only change the outcome of the game but also earn him the MVP title that Paul has wagered on.
Despite being a Cleveland Browns fan, Paul and Barkley have a somewhat surprising connection. When mentalist Oz visited the Eagles, Barkley was seen wearing a sweatshirt from Paul’s personal brand, “W”. While their history is limited, Paul’s offer is clearly meant to spur on the Eagles’ star player, fueling the belief that Barkley has the potential to dominate in the Super Bowl.
While the Chiefs are gunning for a three-peat as champions, Saquon Barkley has become a fan favorite across the country, with many rooting for the Eagles to bring the title home. The added motivation from Paul’s offer could be the spark that helps Barkley reach the pinnacle of his career, not just with a Super Bowl win, but with the MVP trophy to go along with it.
As the big game approaches, all eyes will be on Barkley, with fans eagerly anticipating what could be a historic performance-and perhaps a shiny new Ferrari as a reward for his efforts.
Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 KO) got his guy and likely secured a serious bag in the process.
According to Ring Magazine, Canelo Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KO) and Crawford have an agreement in place to fight on September 13 at a yet-to-be-determined venue in Las Vegas.
The fight will be contested at 168 pounds and will be for Canelo’s super middleweight titles. Since Crawford began working with Saudi powerbroker Turki Alalshikh, the future Hall-of-Famer has made it clear that he wanted to set up a superfight with the Mexican legend.
After making his preference known for more than a year, it appears Canelo is on board for what could produce the largest payday in boxing history. Canelo, 34, is expected to keep with his tradition of fighting in May ahead of his September fight.
he prime candidate for the fight in May is William Scull. Following a unanimous decision win over Vladimir Shishkin, Scull became the IBF super middleweight champion. If Canelo fights and defeats Scull, he will once again be the undisputed super middleweight champion.
Crawford is the reigning WBA junior middleweight champion at 154 pounds, so he will be moving up two weight classes to face a fellow all-time great in one of the biggest boxing matches in the past 10 years.
The fight is expected to be the main event for an upcoming Riyadh Season event. It seems like the T-Mobile Arena, MGM Grand, or even Allegiant Stadium could be the landing place for the fight.
Also, based on the precedent Alalshikh and Riyadh Season have established over the past two years, it wouldn’t be a shock if the card was stacked with other intriguing fights to guarantee a mega event.