&#8216;I&#8217;m a human&#8217; Gauff Fires Off Response to Critics Targeting Her Glam Court Presence at US Open

No Retirement, No Surrender: Turki Alalshikh’s Post-Canelo Plan For Terence Crawford

Turki Alalshikh told Terence Crawford on Saturday that he didn’t want him to retire following his big fight against Canelo Alvarez on September 13 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

ALALSHIKH’S CHALLENGE TO CRAWFORD

Fans believe that the soon-to-be 38-year-old Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) will hang up his gloves win or lose after his title challenge against the undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo (63-2-2, 39 KOs).

JUST IN: VIDEO: Oleksandr Usyk world title decision made after investigation concludes on controversial video

Alalshikh’s Investment and Vision

Turki has invested a lot of money in Crawford since last year, putting him in a position to become a three-time undisputed champion against the aging Canelo (63-2-2, 39 KOs). With the millions that Turki has invested in Crawford, one of his favorite fighters, he understandably doesn’t want to see him walk off into the sunset after Saturday’s fight.

While visiting Crawford at the training session at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas on September 6, 2025, Turki said, “deliver the job” against Canelo on September 13. “The job ain’t done yet. But listen, no retirement,” said Turki about wanting Terence to continue fighting after his super fight against Canelo.

Alalshikh clearly wants Crawford to defend the undisputed 168-pound championship two or three times if he’s victorious against Alvarez or return to 154 to attempt to become a four-division undisputed champion. That would be impressive if Crawford could accomplish that feat.

It would be a good idea for Canelo to ensure that he scores a knockout to avoid losing a decision to Crawford. The last thing Alvarez needs is to wind up getting outpointed by Crawford and having his legacy tarnished from the defeat. Getting beaten by Dmitry Bivol and Floyd Mayweather Jr. is one thing, but it’s a lot worse if he loses to the smaller, older 37-year-old Crawford.

THE GAUNTLET AT 168

If Crawford does choose to follow Turki’s advice of continuing his career, he would be facing this gauntlet of fighters at 168 to make three defenses:

Christian Mbilli

Osley Iglesias

Diego Pacheco

Beating the hard-hitting Cuban southpaw Iglesias (14-0, 13 KOs) might be impossible for Crawford. Iglesias hits hard with either hand, and he’s young at 27. Turning southpaw won’t help Terence against Osley because that’s his stance. He’s a left-hander, and his reach is identical to Crawford’s at 74 inches. So, Bud can’t count on using his jab to dominate him like he’s done against short-armed fighters throughout his career.

Assuming Crawford does get through that gauntlet at 168, he will have accomplished a lot. That would make him a candidate for the all-time great list.

THE PATH TO ALL-TIME GREAT

The hard part for Crawford would be for him to return to the junior middleweight division to try to become a four-division undisputed champion. To accomplish that, Crawford would have to defeat these three champions:

Sebastian Fundora: WBC

Xander Zayas: WBO

Bakhram Murtazaliev: IBF

To beat all the champions at 154, Crawford can’t afford to take a year break between each fight. He would be in his early 40s by the time he faces the final champion in the weight class, and likely too old to become a four-division undisputed champion if he makes it that far.

BOXING

VIDEO: Oleksandr Usyk world title decision made after investigation concludes on controversial video

Oleksandr Usyk has been granted a 90-day extension to negotiate his mandatory defence against Joseph Parker on medical grounds.

The Ukrainian was initially afforded more time due to a lingering back injury, but after a video emerged online of the undisputed heavyweight champion dancing, an investigation was launched.

The WBO demanded an updated medical prognosis from Team Usyk, and they were satisfied with the evidence they received.

A career after boxing beckons, for undisputed champ Oleksandr Usyk 🪩

🎥 @usykaa pic.twitter.com/5TBxhhRcfk

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) August 27, 2025

READ: VIDEOS: Canelo Alvarez must snap four-year streak to claim lucrative bonus on the line in Terence Crawford fight

If Usyk had been found to be unnecessarily delaying his mandatory obligation, then the WBO would have been within its rights to strip him of his red and gold strap.

However, the 38-year-old will remain WBO heavyweight champion while Parker squares off against Fabio Wardley on October 25 in London.

“Team Usyk’s petition for a 90-day extension is granted on medical grounds,” read a letter addressed to Usyk and Parker’s respective teams from the Chairman of the WBO Championship Committee, Luis Batista Salas.

“The 90-day extension shall have a retroactive effect from the date of submission, August 9, 2025.

“Mr. Joseph Parker, Interim Heavyweight Champion, is authorized to defend his interim title against a suitable opponent approved by this Committee, during the extension period.

“Mr. Oleksandr Usyk shall be mandated to face next the WBO Interim Heavyweight Champion; no intervening bouts will be allowed.

“Failure by Mr. Usyk to comply with this mandate shall trigger this Committee’s intervention to proceed accordingly.

“This Resolution is final, definitive, and enforceable.”

Wardley recently got his hands on the WBA interim title after a stunning come-from-behind knockout win over Justis Huni.

📢 WBO Resolution – Heavyweight Division

✔️ Usyk granted a 90-day medical extension
✔️ Parker allowed to defend interim title
✔️ Usyk must face the Interim Champ next pic.twitter.com/bjJX6MfWON

— WBO (@WorldBoxingOrg) September 6, 2025

He now has the opportunity to jump the queue and land a four-belt shootout with Usyk by snatching the WBO’s version of the interim strap from Parker at the O2 Arena.

It will be no easy task, with Parker currently riding a rich vein of form.

The Kiwi rebounded from a stoppage loss to Joe Joyce in September 2022 to string together a six-fight winning streak.

His last three victories have been particularly impressive, with Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole all falling at his hands over the past 21 months.

Parker had been scheduled to challenge Daniel Dubois for the IBF world title in February.

However, the fight collapsed after Dubois fell ill.

The Auckland technician is now one win away from challenging for that belt, plus three more (WBO, WBA and WBC) against Usyk.

GOLF

Rory McIlroy in disbelief at heart-stopping moment before

Rory McIlroy in disbelief at heart-stopping moment before winning Irish Open play-off

Rory McIlroy has become a two-time Irish Open champion following a dramatic play-off victory over Joakim Lagergren.

The pair could not be separated for the first two play-off holes, but it was Lagergren who lost his composure on the third when his ball bounced off the green and trickled into the water.

JUST IN: Pressure Mounts on Tiger Woods as PGA Tour’s Flailing Fall Stretc

McIlroy, who missed his lengthy putt for eagle, made no mistake to finish with a birdie.

Unfortunately for Lagergren, he fizzed his effort beyond the hole to hand McIlroy the victory.

It was McIlroy’s first win since he completed the career grand slam in April when he won the Masters which, coincidentally, was also via a nerve-jangling play-off against Justin Rose.

Not only that, but he secured a tidy pay day of $1.02million (£755,130).

McIlroy’s reaction to winning play-off

“I love coming home, I love playing in this atmosphere,” McIlroy told Sky Sports.

“Moments like this, these are the things as you’re going to remember well after your career is over.

“This is a really special day.”

McIlroy’s victory at the K Club in Saffran couldn’t have come at a better time as it gives the Northern Irishman plenty of momentum heading into the Ryder Cup, which begins on September 26 at Bethpage Black in New York.

McIlroy’s all-time shot forced play-off

The 36-year-old’s triumph was also achieved in rather improbable circumstances given he arrived at the 18th hole during the final round knowing he needed an eagle or better to stay alive.

That’s because of Lagergren’s brilliance on the final stretch, as he recorded an eagle on the par-five 16th and then a birdie on the par-five 18th to finish the final round at the Irish Open on -17.

But McIlroy, who has so often proved he has ice in his veins, delivered just that with a staggering 27-foot putt to secure the necessary eagle on the 18th to force a play-off against Lagergren.

It was the perfect hole from McIlroy, as a 340-yard drive off the tee box was followed by a stunning 192-yard shot onto the green.

McIlroy’s final-hole eagle continued what had been a dazzling final round which included an improbable putt that lipped around the entire hole before it fell in.

As he set up for a putt on the par-four 13th, the Northern Irishman was locked in a four-way tie for first place at the K Club.

But one heart-stopping tap of the ball later and he had the lead all to himself.

McIlroy’s dream putt sends commentators wild

McIlroy, who was putting for a birdie, sent the ball towards the hole and instantly would have thought his chance to nudge ahead of the pack was gone when it lipped around.

But, in the most remarkable of circumstances, the ball dropped in to hand McIlroy a vital birdie and the outright lead.

As the crowd roared in approval, McIlroy didn’t quite know how to initially react as he stood frozen in time.

After the camera panned to the patrons at the K Club, it returned to McIlroy who was now hunched over and wore a look of utter disbelief on his face.

One commentator said: “Stop it!”

Another commentator replied: “A little McIlroy magic right there.”

Sky Sports’ Paul McGinley added: “I think the crowd blew it in. Is that the little bit of luck and the break that you need, at the right time, of a tournament?”

McIlroy’s remarkable putt took his score for the overall tournament to -15.

Unfortunately for McIlroy, his time at the top of the leaderboard in the final round didn’t last long.

How McIlroy’s rival snatched lead off of Northern Irishman

Swedish star Lagergren took the lead for himself when he produced a stunning eagle on the par-five 16th to improve his score to -16 with only two holes remaining in his final round.

After a solid tee shot which put him on the fairway, Lagergren fired the ball 266 yards onto the green, leaving only a five-inch putt between him and the lead.

The Swede showed all the composure in the world to drain the putt as he assumed first place.

Lagergren then extended his lead with a birdie on the par-five 18th to all but seal the title, or so he thought as McIlroy pulled off the improbable.

GOLF

Pressure Mounts on Tiger Woods as PGA Tour’s Flailing Fall Stretc

Pressure Mounts on Tiger Woods as PGA Tour’s Flailing Fall Stretch Tests His Leadership

For the first time in recent memory, the PGA Tour’s fall season is receiving more attention than it usually does. Next week’s Procore Championship, the first of seven FedExCup Fall events, features 10 of the 12 U.S. Ryder Cup players. But don’t be fooled by the temporary noise, as the fall stretch is still in a precarious position, and now, all the pressure is on

Tiger Woods and his new committee to fix it.

The Procore Championship begins September 11 at Silverado Resort, featuring several top players in sharp contrast to last year’s quiet fall season, when stars like Scottie Scheffler stayed home and the leaderboard lacked excitement. This year’s boost comes from Ryder Cup prep, but without lasting changes, the fall season will soon return to its usual low energy, low stakes, and limited fan interest.

READ: How one round of golf with Tiger Woods inspired Scottie Scheffler to become

At this point, Tiger Woods’ new committee, the Future Competition Committee, may be the Tour’s only real hope of turning this stretch into something more meaningful and engaging for both players and fans alike. As Eamon Lynch sharply put it — “Perhaps a long-term solution for this portion of the schedule will emerge from the Tiger Woods-chaired Future Competition Committee that is reviewing the Tour’s business. Let’s hope so, because this ain’t it.” Outside of Ryder Cup prep, most top-50 FedExCup players skip the fall since their spots for next season are secure.

This leaves fans watching lower-ranked players fight to keep their cards, adding to the pressure on Tiger Woods and his committee to revitalize the fall schedule. That vision is now in the hands of the newly formed Future Competition Committee, which is chaired by Tiger Woods and was created by CEO Brian Rolapp on August 20, 2025, roughly 18 days into his tenure.

The nine-member group includes influential Tour players like Patrick Cantlay and Adam Scott, partnered with the Strategic Sports Group to redefine “the optimal competitive model that enhances the PGA Tour’s value to fans, players, and partners.” Rolapp’s vision with this committee isn’t just to make small tweaks, but rather significant changes to the tour.

“The goal is not incremental change. The goal is significant change,” he said during the press conference at East Lake, where he announced the big step. The committee, as Rolapp highlighted, will operate on three principles: Parity, Scarcity, and Simplicity. While the tour has achieved competitive parity thanks to the depth of talent, the other two pillars have been sorely lacking. Scarcity was highlighted with the vision of ensuring top players compete together often to keep fans engaged, and simplicity, in better tying together the regular season and postseason. Clearly, neither of these two principles holds for the fall season.

Lynch: As the PGA Tour kicks off its quiet season, it has to figure out how to make noise now https://t.co/nxeKfOoRvp

— Golfweek (@golfweek) September 6, 2025

While the committee works behind the scenes to reshape the Tour’s future, this week’s Procore Championship offers a rare glimpse into what a fall event could look like.

Who is teeing it up at the Procore Championship this week?

Ten members of the U.S. Ryder Cup team are set to tee it up at next week’s Procore Championship at Silverado Resort, including big names like Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, and Sam Burns, to name a few. This unusually stacked field for a fall event comes at the urging of Captain Keegan Bradley, who’s determined to avoid the sluggish start that plagued Team USA during the 2023 Ryder Cup loss in Rome. Bradley emphasized the need for sharper preparation, calling this tournament a crucial final tune-up before the team heads overseas.

However, not everyone is on board. Xander Schauffele, a Ryder Cup automatic qualifier who had a standout 2024 season with two major wins, is notably absent from the field. Schauffele struggled throughout this season and failed to qualify for the Tour Championship, finishing 42nd in the FedEx Cup standings. Asked in August if he planned to play in Napa, he was evasive — “I wouldn’t say there’s an expectation for us to play, but a lot of us do want to play just to stay fresh… I’ll have an even longer break, so we’ll see how that goes.” He, along with Bryson DeChambeau, is the only two members of the team skipping the event this week. Bryson DeChambeau is absent because he is banned from the PGA Tour due to his ties to LIV Golf.

CELEB NEWS

‘I’m a human’ Gauff Fires Off Response to Critics Targeting

‘I’m a human’ Gauff Fires Off Response to Critics Targeting Her Glam Court Presence at US Open

When it comes to Grand Slam tournaments, American tennis star Coco Gauff doesn’t mess around with her look.

The U.S. Open is the calendar finale of the Grand Slams each year, and she said that she’s planned her outfits for tournaments like this in advance.

As some questioned why she gets all glammed up – having her hair and nails done for the tournament, along with coordinated outfits – Gauff defended the choice.

As the saying goes: “Look good, play good.”

“I don’t know why it’s such a big deal what women choose to do with their on-court or off-court looks,” Gauff said in a Vogue Beauty Secrets video.

“I’m like, ‘I’m a human. Tennis is what I do, but it’s not who I am. And I like to express my way just like any other person likes to express themselves.’”

Explosive: Crawford Finally Answers If He Could Take Down

Explosive: Crawford Finally Answers If He Could Take Down Mayweather or Tyson

Terence Crawford, who has a mega fight coming up against Canelo Alvarez on September 13, has now revealed how he’d have fared against Floyd Mayweather or Mike Tyson.

‘Bud’ looks ready for his super middleweight fight, and with a win against Canelo, he can become the first ever three division men’s undisputed champion.

Ahead of the fight, Crawford appeared for an interview on the Full Send podcast. When asked, Crawford gave a clear-cut answer on how he’d have fared against Mayweather or Mike Tyson if ‘Iron’ Mike were his size.

Interestingly, Mike Tyson vs Floyd Mayweather has been announced for a 2026 exhibition fight.

Crawford is backing himself all the way, be it against Mayweather or Tyson. Speaking to the Full Send, he said, “Me. No questions. Why would you think that I would say Floyd?”

Ryder Cup:Tiger Woods’ Surprising Act Beyond Rivalry Sparked

Tiger Woods’ Surprising Act Beyond Rivalry Sparked Shane Lowry’s Transformation Into a Ryder Cup Star

“A few days before Heather passed away she said to me, ‘If Woosie calls you, you have to play’.”

This is a tale of loss and destiny: the story of how Darren Clarke and Team Europe said goodbye to the golfer’s wife, Heather, at the 2006 Ryder Cup.

Golf is back at The K Club this weekend as Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry compete in the Irish Open.

And with it being a Ryder Cup year – many can’t help but cast their minds back to when the famous event was here.

A game of etiquette briefly lets it hair down once every two years to let rivalry run riot – but back in 2006, everyone was with Clarke. On both sides.

The scenes in Dublin that year reduced a usually-reserved Lee Westwood to tears and melted one of sport’s coldest-ever competitors in Tiger Woods.

Six weeks before it began, Heather Clarke passed away, aged 39, after battling breast cancer for several years.

Throughout her illness, she encouraged her husband to play, and insisted he accepted an unlikely wildcard from captain Ian Woosnam should it be offered to him.

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“The ball came off and went 320 yards off the stick into the middle of the fairway.

“To this day, I have no idea how I managed to do that. You talk about how cool I was in the last round of The Open [in 2011].

“That wasn’t even a patch on that first tee shot at the K Club.”

The likes of Phil Mickelson and Woods were among his victims over the week as Clarke won all three of his matches, and even Team USA could not deny him the moment.

Even Woods, typically stone-hearted at tournaments, stopped his practice before the event began and gave his rival a warm embrace on the driving range.

Upon making birdie on that opening hole, Mickelson and fellow opponent Chris DiMarco were the first to congratulate Clarke.

Woods didn’t pick many friends on Tour in his pomp, but he liked Clarke – the cigar-smoking, unchiseled man who took the exact opposite approach to golf.

BOXING

Tyson Fury Warns Rival: “There’s a Dangerous Breed of

Tyson Fury Warns Rival: “There’s a Dangerous Breed of Fighter Who Never Accepts Defeat”

To be a fighter, you have to have a little screw loose,” Tyson Fury says calmly in a chaotic room in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he will soon step back into the ring. His entourage are kicking up a racket but Fury is much more reflective. “Who on earth would want to go and fight against a highly trained athlete, time and time again? You have to be a little bit touched to want to do that.”

On Saturday night, Fury faces Francis Ngannou in a bout which could be the sporting definition of absurdity. Fury is the WBC world heavyweight champion and an indisputably great boxer. Ngannou, in contrast, has never boxed professionally even though he was a dangerous force in mixed martial arts as the former UFC heavyweight champion. So much money has been pumped into this dubious venture that Fury and Ngannou could be lauded as supreme businessmen were it not for the deeply troubling nature of boxing’s sudden veneration for Saudi Arabia.

“My oldest brother, John Boy,” Fury continues, “said to me yesterday: ‘You’re more at home in that ring than your front room. Why is that?’”

Fury wears wildly patterned green trousers and a fawn-coloured waistcoat. He is shirtless and he pushes back his green cap as he tries to explain his strange obsession. “I just love everything that comes with this game. From a little boy to being a world champion, it’s always intrigued me. I don’t think there’s anything else where you can get all these emotions in one night. Happiness, sadness, fear, nerves, excitement. Going in there on Saturday night will be, for me, as daunting as going up against Deontay Wilder.”

Lamont Roach Exposes Shocking Step-Aside Deal to Clear

Lamont Roach Exposes Shocking Step-Aside Deal to Clear Way for Gervonta Davis vs Jake Paul Netflix Superfight

Lamont Roach was seemingly given money by Netflix to “step aside” to Gervonta Davis could fight Jake Paul.

The boxing world is still buzzing from the announcement that WBA lightweight champion and star of the sport, Gervonta “Tank” Davis, will be fighting against Jake Paul on November 14, which is going to be broadcast on Netflix for free to anyone with a subscription.

This fight announcement came as a surprise to many. While there had been rumors about these two having agreed to a fight before Davis fought Lamont Roach on March 1, all indications were that the fight was off (or at least postponed) once Davis and Roach fought to a majority draw on that fateful night.

And this sentiment was strengthened in the months afterward, as news had broken that Roach and Davis agreed to rematch on August 16.

Lamont Roach Reveals Step-Aside Money Amid Davis vs. Paul Announcement

In the sport of boxing, it’s relatively common for a fighter to be given what’s called “step-aside” money. This is most common when there’s a mandatory challenger for a belt, who will be paid to essentially stay on the sidelines while the champion, who was supposed to be tasked with fighting them, pursues a (likely more lucrative and appealing) fight against another contender or champion.

And on August 20, Roach made a post to his Instagram story that suggested he was getting paid by Netflix to “step aside” so Davis could fight Paul.

Roach posted a mirror selfie to his Instagram story with a gif of money flowing that said, “It’s Payday”. The post was also captioned, “We love Netflix money 🙃”. Therefore, Roach is making is quite clear where this “payday” stems from.

RELATED NEWS : “Gervonta Davis Declares “I’m fearless no limits here” as

While there’s no indication of how much Roach revealed to set the Tank rematch to the side for now, one would imagine Netflix paid him a pretty penny.

Lamont Roach Sr.’s Comments about Rematch Falling Through

In the immediate aftermath of the Davis vs. Paul fight announcement, Lamont Roach Jr. made an X post that wrote, “Told ya lol 🦆🦆🦆🦆,” suggesting he’s convinced Davis ducked the fight against him.

Roach’s father and head trainer, Lamont Roach Sr., spoke with FightHype for an August 20 interview and said of the rematch, “[The Roach vs. Davis rematch is] the fight. We wanted that fight, I think that’s the fight the fans wanted. After a great fight like that, everybody was looking forward to the second bout.

“But unfortunately, things didn’t line up as planned. So we just can’t sit around and wait. We’ve got to move forward and continue our own career… That fight is going to be there, and hopefully it happens soon,” he added.

TENNIS

Maria Sharapova gets real on her ‘full-circle moment’ with Serena Williams

Maria Sharapova says she went “a full-circle moment” with Serena Williams after watching the American tennis legend play, compete against her, and then have her introduce her into the Tennis Hall of Fame.

Although Sharapova and Williams are well-retired, they stole the headlines just before the start of the US Open. August 23rd was the date of the Russian tennis icon’s induction into the Hall of Fame. And there wasn’t anything surprising about it until the former five-time Grand Slam champion showed up to the ceremony alongside one of her biggest rivals – against whom she had quite a history.

“That was a full-circle moment. It started when I was a young girl watching her play with Venus, and just being so inspired by their strength and how amazing they were at their craft. Then facing Serena for so many years and now having her accepting and inducting me into the Hall of Fame,” Sharapova told Travel and Leisure magazine.

Williams issues a powerful statement on her fierce rivalry with Sharapova

Williams and Sharapova’s rivalry was never only on the court. For many years, it was an open secret that the two didn’t like each other as individuals. But after they retired from pro tennis, their tone started changing, and after they spoke briefly at the Met Gala a few years ago, they started being in touch. And all of that led to their relationship doing a complete turnaround.

“Maria and I were once the fiercest of rivals, we had our differences—to the world, we looked miles and miles apart. But the truth is, we weren’t. We wanted the exact same thing, at the exact time: to be the very best. That’s what made our rivalry so electric, and so iconic,” Williams said of her rivalry with Sharapova.

In Newport, Sharapova revealed that she reached out to Williams a couple of months ago with the Hall of Fame ceremony request, and that the American quickly agreed.