Former world heavyweight champion David Haye believes Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury must finally agree to a bout, insisting it remains the biggest available fight for both men.
A showdown between the two British stars has been highly anticipated by boxing fans for the best part of a decade.
However, a variety of contractual disputes, broadcast conflicts and mandatory title defences have repeatedly prevented the domestic rivals from meeting in the ring.
The biggest fight possible
Speaking about the current heavyweight landscape, the retired fighter made his stance on the long-awaited matchup abundantly clear.
“Joshua and Fury both need each other, that’s the biggest fight they could both possibly have.”
The 44-year-old Londoner intimately understands the mechanics of high-profile stadium events.
He successfully unified the cruiserweight division before moving up to capture a world title in boxing’s premier weight class.
Rebuilding career momentum
Both elite competitors now find themselves at crucial crossroads in their respective careers.
The self-styled ‘Gypsy King’ recently suffered his first professional defeat against Oleksandr Usyk in a historic clash for undisputed status.
Meanwhile, the Olympic gold medallist from Watford is looking to rebuild his reputation following a devastating knockout loss to Daniel Dubois.
With neither man currently holding a recognised world title belt, a lucrative all-British collision represents the most logical next step for their enduring legacies.
The pressure will now intensify on rival promoters to overcome historical negotiation hurdles and finally deliver the spectacle that the sporting public demands.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot commended third-choice goalkeeper Freddie Woodman in the dressing room after his unexpected debut helped secure a dramatic 2-1 Merseyside derby victory over Everton on Sunday.
The Reds initially took the lead through Mohamed Salah before Beto levelled the scoreline for the hosts in the second half.
The equaliser coincided with a severe blow for the visitors as starting goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili was stretchered off the pitch with a significant wound.
With regular number one Alisson Becker already sidelined, the 29-year-old Woodman was thrust into the high-pressure environment for his first Premier League appearance.
A stoppage-time header from captain Virgil van Dijk ultimately sealed all three points for the Anfield side.
Dressing room recognition
Post-match cameras captured the Dutch tactician specifically highlighting the Englishman’s crucial contribution to the squad.
While some supporters expressed reservations about broadcasting behind-the-scenes footage, the interaction showcased the strong collective spirit within the camp.
The former Feyenoord boss also publicly praised the debutant during his official media duties following the final whistle.
‘He kept his nerve’
Slot acknowledged the immense pressure placed on the substitute shot-stopper during a tense finale at Goodison Park.
Freddie deserves a lot of credit, because if you have to come in after conceding the 1-1 and the fans were ready for it, he did his job really well.
He kept his calm in a difficult moment where he was doubting if he should catch the ball, yes or no, and he kept his nerve and worked so hard to have this moment.
Usually third goalkeepers don’t play a lot, but in a season like ours I think if you are playing at the moment in the U8s of Liverpool you should be ready to make your debut because it’s unbelievable what’s happening to us!
Goalkeeping crisis deepens
The Merseyside club is currently navigating a severe shortage of available senior goalkeepers:
- Alisson Becker is targeting a late-April return from a hamstring issue sustained in March.
- Giorgi Mamardashvili is awaiting further hospital assessment to determine the severity of his injury.
It remains to be seen if Woodman will be handed his first start when Crystal Palace visit Anfield on Saturday, 25 April.
Bernardo Silva continues to be the driving force for Manchester City in his final season at the club, delivering defensive masterclasses and crucial goals as his nine-year tenure nears its end.
The Portuguese international was instrumental during a recent 2-1 victory over title rivals Arsenal.
He produced vital defensive interventions against Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz to help secure the win.
Guardiola praises departing midfielder
Pep Guardiola recently dismissed suggestions that Rayan Cherki should win player of the year, instead pointing to his veteran playmaker.
The Catalan manager considers the 30-year-old his absolute favourite and an irreplaceable part of the squad.
“When you write the legend you have to write with the capital letter; not for today, for every single game over nine years,” Guardiola said.
The Manchester City boss even admitted that he might shed tears when the midfielder finally departs the Etihad Stadium.
Haaland’s Cannavaro comparison
Despite his small stature, the former Monaco man has proven surprisingly resilient in defensive situations.
He previously dominated the pitch during a crucial 2-1 win against Liverpool at Anfield, scoring a vital goal.
Against Arsenal, it was his ability to beat the much taller Viktor Gyokeres in the air that drew high praise from teammates.
“When he headed that cross away, I told him, ‘You were like f***ing Cannavaro,'” revealed Erling Haaland.
City remain locked in a fierce battle at the top of the Premier League table, where such grit is just as valuable as attacking flair.
As the season draws to a close, the reigning champions will be determined to give their legendary creator a fitting farewell.
The Buffalo Sabres overcame a late two-goal deficit to defeat the Boston Bruins 4-3 on Sunday night, securing their first NHL playoff victory in 15 years.
Mattias Samuelsson struck with just over three minutes remaining to cap a stunning third-period comeback for the Atlantic Division champions.
The dramatic Game 1 victory marked the franchise’s first post-season win since a 1-0 triumph over the Philadelphia Flyers in April 2011.
Thompson ignites late resurgence
Trailing 2-0 after Elias Lindholm scored early in the final frame, the hosts finally found a spark through their leading regular-season scorer.
Tage Thompson netted a wraparound backhander with under eight minutes left, before firing a low shot inside the far post to level the contest 3:42 later.
With the home crowd electrified, Jack Quinn recovered a loose puck deep in the offensive zone and fed Samuelsson, who snapped a high shot into the net just 52 seconds after the equaliser.
Bruins collapse despite strong regular season
Alex Tuch sealed the historic win by converting into an empty net with 72 seconds remaining, rendering David Pastrnak’s last-gasp strike a mere consolation.
The late collapse was uncharacteristic for the seventh-seeded visitors, who boasted a formidable 33-2-4 record when leading after two periods during the regular campaign.
Despite the defeat, Pastrnak’s three-point performance moved him past Cam Neely and Wayne Cashman into ninth place on Boston’s all-time playoff scoring list.
Buffalo will look to double their series advantage when they host Game 2 on Tuesday night.
Juraj Slafkovsky scored a historic overtime hat-trick as the Montreal Canadiens stunned the heavily favoured Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 in game one of their first-round play-off series.
The 22-year-old fired a slap shot past goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy 82 seconds into the extra period to secure the victory at Benchmark International Arena.
Remarkably, all three of his goals came on the power-play.
In doing so, the Slovakian forward became the youngest player in NHL history to record a hat-trick in a post-season opener, surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s 1983 benchmark.
He is also the first player to ever score three power-play goals in a play-off game where one served as the overtime winner.
Canadiens exploit Lightning’s home struggles
Tampa Bay entered the match as firm favourites to progress, having reached three consecutive Stanley Cup finals between 2020 and 2022.
However, the Florida franchise have now lost eight of their past nine home play-off fixtures.
Brandon Hagel scored twice for the hosts, while Darren Raddysh was also on target in a tightly contested affair.
At the other end of the ice, rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes made 20 saves to keep the Canadiens firmly in the contest.
Josh Anderson also found the net for the visitors, who are seeking their first play-off series victory since losing the 2021 final to the Lightning.
‘We still have to focus’
Montreal head coach Martin St. Louis, a Lightning icon during his playing days, crucially called a timeout just before the decisive overtime goal.
Captain Nick Suzuki explained the pause was merely to give the skaters a brief rest rather than to alter their tactical approach.
Despite his record-breaking performance, the 2022 number one overall draft pick remained grounded about his achievement.
“I kind of saw some open space there, I decided to shoot it, and thankfully, it went in,” Slafkovsky said.
“We’re all happy. But, yeah, we still have to focus.”
“We have a game in two days.”
The second game of the best-of-seven series takes place in Tampa on Tuesday.
Paolo Banchero scored 23 points to lead the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic to a shock 112-101 victory over the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on Sunday.
The surprise road win in Michigan extends the longest home playoff losing streak in NBA history, with Detroit having now dropped 11 consecutive postseason games on their own court since 2008.
Cade Cunningham poured in a playoff career-high 39 points for the hosts, but received minimal offensive support beyond 17 points from veteran forward Tobias Harris.
Magic capitalise on early Detroit rust
Having secured their postseason berth via a dominant play-in victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, the Florida franchise arrived with evident momentum.
They surged to an 18-5 lead midway through the opening quarter, suffocating a rested Detroit outfit that managed just one successful field goal from their first six attempts.
Despite a brief rally from the top seeds to pull within two points, a combined 20-point first-quarter effort from Banchero and Jalen Suggs ensured Orlando maintained a 35-27 advantage.
The visitors eventually took a narrow 55-51 lead into the half-time interval.
Wagner seals shock series opener
Detroit head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was forced into an early second-half timeout after his side conceded eight of the first nine points following the restart.
A resilient 13-2 run from the home side eventually tied the contest at 65 apiece, capped off by a crucial three-pointer from their star guard Cunningham.
However, Banchero immediately responded with a contested jumper, sparking a decisive sequence that restored a double-digit cushion for the underdogs heading into the fourth quarter.
German international Franz Wagner then took control in the final period, scoring 11 of his 19 total points alongside 17-point contributions from Wendell Carter and Desmond Bane to safely navigate the visitors to the final buzzer.
The Pistons, who have not advanced past the first round in 18 years, will attempt to level the series when they host Game 2 on Wednesday evening.
Jon Rahm has capped off a turbulent week for LIV Golf by securing a dominant six-shot victory at Chapultepec Golf Club in Mexico City.
The Spanish star closed with an impressive seven-under-par 64 on Sunday to claim his second individual title of the current campaign.
Having failed to register a tournament victory during his debut season despite winning the overall points title, the former Masters champion left no room for doubt this time around.
He established early control by making a birdie on the reachable par-four second hole before holing out for a spectacular eagle on the third.
Bouncing back from Masters disappointment
This commanding bogey-free performance follows a frustrating period for the two-time major winner, who could only manage a tie for 38th at Augusta National last week.
“If you would have told me last week on Thursday afternoon that I’d be winning by a six-shot margin this week, I would not have believed you because of how bad I played.”
“Hell of an effort,” he added.
The individual triumph also propelled his Legion XIII squad to their first collective team victory of the year.
Off-course turbulence and DeChambeau withdrawal
The tournament concluded a chaotic few days for the Saudi-funded breakaway league amid swirling rumours regarding its long-term financial stability.
LIV Golf chief executive Scott O’Neil recently distributed a memo to staff offering assurances that funding was guaranteed through the end of the calendar year.
On-course logistics were also impacted by a power outage on Tuesday and a two-hour streaming blackout during the opening round.
The drama intensified when American star Bryson DeChambeau was forced to abandon his pursuit of a historic third consecutive LIV victory.
Puig strengthens major championship prospects
Trailing by 16 shots before the final round, the reigning US Open champion withdrew citing a wrist problem he did not wish to aggravate.
“I experienced some discomfort in my wrist during yesterday’s round and have decided to withdraw from the final round of LIV Golf Mexico City to prevent further injury,” DeChambeau posted on social media.
The powerful American now hopes to recover in time for the upcoming Virginia event, which begins just a week prior to the US PGA Championship.
Meanwhile, fellow Spaniard David Puig capitalised on the opportunity by carding a closing 66 to secure second place behind his compatriot.
The runner-up finish earns Puig valuable world ranking points, all but guaranteeing his spot in next month’s US PGA Championship field.
Victor Wembanyama has joined former winners Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic as a finalist for this season’s NBA Most Valuable Player award.
Jokic made history this year by becoming the first player to lead the league in both total assists and rebounds.
The Denver Nuggets centre averaged a remarkable triple-double across the campaign while scoring 27.7 points per game.
Meanwhile, reigning MVP Gilgeous-Alexander posted 31.1 points and 6.6 assists on 55% shooting for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Wembanyama dominates defensive categories
The San Antonio Spurs standout is also the overwhelming favourite to secure the Defensive Player of the Year honour.
The towering Frenchman led the NBA in blocked shots per game for a third consecutive season.
He is joined on the defensive ballot by Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren and Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson.
Award eligibility and the 65-game rule
Gilgeous-Alexander is additionally nominated for the Clutch Player of the Year prize alongside Jamal Murray and Anthony Edwards.
Edwards features on the clutch ballot despite falling short of the league’s 65-game minimum requirement for standard award eligibility.
The Minnesota Timberwolves guard remains eligible for this specific accolade because the nominees are selected directly by head coaches.
Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham also missed the 65-game threshold but successfully appealed under the “extraordinary circumstances” clause to remain on All-NBA ballots.
Rising stars and coaching recognitions
Jalen Duren, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Deni Avdija are the final three contenders for the Most Improved Player award.
Portland’s Avdija earned his first All-Star appearance this year while averaging 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists.
The Rookie of the Year race will be contested by highly-rated prospects Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and V.J. Edgecombe.
On the touchline, J.B. Bickerstaff, Mitch Johnson and Joe Mazzulla have been shortlisted for Coach of the Year.
The NBA will begin announcing the official winners prior to evening tip-offs throughout the coming week.