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This came as Sports Illustrated named Biles its “Sportsperson of the Year” for 2024.

Simone Biles has been called the “greatest of all time” when it comes to gymnastics, but she also knows when it’s time to somersault her way into some leisure.

In a Sports Illustrated interview published Thursday, Biles discussed how she’s giving herself a needed break. The athlete, who was named the outlet’s “Sportsperson of the Year” for 2024, was asked what the 2028 Summer Olympics would have to be about for her to compete at the event.

“I’ve accomplished so much, there’s almost nothing left to do, rather than to just be snobby and to try again and for what?” the athlete stated. “I’m at a point in my career where I’m humble enough to know when to be done.”

Biles suggested that she may be unwilling to give up important parts of her personal life so she can return to her sport.

“What sacrifices would be made if I go back now? When you’re younger, it’s like, prom, college,” she said. “Now it’s like, starting a family, being away from my husband. What’s really worth it?”

In a 2024 interview with TV personality Hoda Kotb, Biles reflected on what she’d like her legacy to be, saying she hopes to be remembered as “someone who loved the sport, had fun doing it and was just authentically herself.”

Though the future of Biles’ career is not yet written in stone, it is clear that she is ready to do a handspring toward some much-deserved time off to prioritize rest.

Uncategorized

Cris Cyborg Issues Scathing Response to Claressa Shields’ Rebuke – MMA Vs. Boxing

The war of words between MMA legend Cris Cyborg and boxing great Claressa Shields has reached a boiling point, with both fighters exchanging heated challenges and personal digs. Both fighters are interested in a fight but cannot agree on a weight or rule set. Boxing or MMA? The tension erupted after Shields declared, “I would

f*ck her up in a street fight,” during a recent interview. Cyborg, not one to back down, responded on social media: “Someone tell ‘The GWOAT’ we are both signed to the same MMA promoter. Just sign the PFL contract.” This shows the growing animosity between…

BOXING

Boxing Insider Says Anthony Joshua Targeting Tyson Fury in 2025 Is Not Good News

Winning a major boxing match often opens new doors for a fighter, but in the case of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, the dynamic appears reversed. The former unified heavyweight champion recently revealed his intent to pursue a showdown with the former WBC heavyweight champion. However, boxing insider Rick Glaser doesn’t seem too happy about it.

As you may know at this point, ‘The Gypsy King’ lost his rematch to Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk in December via a unanimous decision. This comes after Fury lost their initial fight back in May via majority decision. The same scenario unfolded for ‘AJ’ when he faced Oleksandr Usyk in back-to-back bouts in 2021 and 2022. Not to mention, Joshua’s loss to Daniel Dubois.

Even with the losses, the excitement about a fight between the two Englishmen hasn’t died down, especially in the United Kingdom. The pair have been linked for a fight for years at this point, but nothing ever went past discussion for various reasons. However, with both of their records painted in red, it appears the fight is possible.

Earlier this week, Boxing Scene reported that while speaking in Lagos, Nigeria, where Joshua visited President Bola Tinubu, he said about a Tyson Fury fight, “We’ll see, let’s get in the ring. Only God knows, but for me, we’ll see in the future.” Later, while Joshua was speaking to the State House Correspondents, he revealed much more about his plans for 2025.

“Time is of the essence, time is limited,” Joshua said. “So, I just want to put in more work. In 2024, when I look back, I believe I could have done more and I have another chance in 2025 to do more. I’m going to make sure that I take every opportunity that comes my way. I’m going to go again.”

“Ups and downs, they happen. To some people, it is always up. My life is up and down, so I have got to get used to the turbulent times and keep riding the wave. I can’t stop now; I have to keep going until I reach my destination.” Regardless, in response to this revelation, Rick Glaser offered his candid perspective on the potential matchup.

BOXING

“Usyk Did Not Get $60 Million”: Insider Blows the Lid Off Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk 2 Fight Purses

Just over ten days have passed since Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury faced each other once again in the ring. With Usyk emerging victorious, discussions have naturally shifted toward future matchups. For the Ukrainian champion, there has been clamor for a rematch with Daniel Dubois. For Fury, it is back to the much sought-after clash against fellow Briton Anthony Joshua.

However, amidst the discussions, fresh insights on the Usyk-Fury rematch have appeared. A recent take from an insider digresses on the money part of the showdown. To some, the revelation might be startling. Seven months after their first encounter at the Kingdom Arena, Usyk and Fury met again on December 21 to settle their rivalry. Unlike their initial clash, Usyk secured a decisive win, retaining his unified titles. Alongside his belts, the Olympic gold medalist reportedly earned an unprecedented payout as well. However, Chael Sonnen has cast doubt on the rumored figures surrounding the fight.

Oleksandr Usyk’s Victory and Payout Speculations

“Usyk was rumored to have gotten 60 million to fight Tyson Fury. 3 weeks ago Usyk did not get 60 million,” said Sonnen. According to him, these numbers are exaggerated. The claim is fabricated for publicity.

Though far from the inflated figures, Tyson Fury’s actual earnings were slightly higher than the $40 million he acknowledged nevertheless. With a realistic ceiling of $100 million for the rematch, he seemed to suggest that even the biggest boxing matches, including those featuring the sport’s top heavyweights, failed to generate anywhere near the rumored sums.

Actually, Chael Sonnen’s discourse was more about the rumored boxing match between Conor McGregor and Logan Paul. Revealing a potential matchup against Jake Paul‘s elder brother, ‘The Notorious’ shocked everyone last month. Reportedly, both McGregor and Paul could take home an astronomical amount of $250 million each from the exhibition fight in India.

Expressing his doubts, Sonnen, however, suggested that under no circumstances would anyone splurge such an astronomical amount. “There’s not a single piece of that that’s true,” he said, adding, “To hand to a guy that’s 0 and 1 in boxing against the current WWE star, there is no part of that story that’s true.”

BOXING

Roy Jones Is Certain Who Wins Gervonta Davis vs Shakur Stevenson: “That’s Why He’s The Best”

Gervonta Davis and Shakur Stevenson have asserted themselves as two of the best lightweights on the planet in recent years.

Davis, who is best known as ‘Tank’, is the reigning WBA champion at 135lbs, having made the most recent defence of his crown back in June, extending his perfect professional record to 30-0. He is due to return to the ring on March 1 with Lamont Roach gearing up to face the 30-year-old.

WBC lightweight champion Stevenson is another major player in the 135lbs division, having already won world titles at both featherweight and super featherweight. The 27-year-old from Newark, New Jersey is unbeaten un 22 professional outings, as he prepares to make the second defence of his WBC crown against Floyd Schofield on February 22 in Riyadh.

As rumours about a potential clash between the pair begin to intensify, boxing icon Roy Jones Jr has shared his thoughts on both men, naming Davis as who he thinks is the better fighter out of the two.

“I’ll tell you why he’s the best fighter to me. He can punch, but he also can box. Some that can box can’t punch, some that can punch can’t box.

He can box, he can punch, he can move laterally, he can move left side, right side, he can do whatever he needs to do as a southpaw to get the job done. That’s saying a lot as not many guys can do that today.”

Both Stevenson and ‘Tank’ appear to have been on a collision course for quite some time, leaving boxing fans around the world hoping a showdown between the duo can be made in the not so distant future.

BOXING

Floyd Mayweather knocked out ‘smack talking’ heavyweight sparring partner in 30 seconds

Floyd Mayweather’s former training partner claims ‘TBE’ once knocked out a motor-mouthed heavyweight during a brutal sparring session.

Mayweather picked up world titles in five different weight classes from super featherweight to super welterweight during an unblemished 50-0 professional career.

At the peak of his powers, Mayweather walked around at 160lbs but that didn’t stop him from hurting far bigger men than himself in the gym.

Boxer-turned-promoter Dmitry Salita was a part of Mayweather’s set-up for four training camps during his welterweight days and remembers how the Michigan technician once humbled a cocksure heavyweight in the ring.

“We were at the gym just hanging out, it was after one of Floyd’s fights,” Salita told ES News.

“This guy comes into the gym, a heavyweight and said, ‘I wanna get some boxing’ and he was just talking a lot of smack.

“There was no one big enough to spar so Floyd was like ‘Leonard [Ellerbe], get my stuff from the car’.

“Leonard went into the car and got his gear for him.

“Floyd got in the ring with him for 30 seconds and does his shoulder roll and block and just hits the guy with a body shot, and drops him, a heavyweight.

“And the guy could fight. Roger [Mayweather] always said if someone is going to stick it on you in the streets, you ain’t going to say ‘I need to go into a training camp for six weeks.

Something great like Floyd Mayweather doesn’t happen by accident, I witnessed how hard they worked, how hard they trained and the routine they established.”

Salita also recalls how Mayweather sparred four-minute rounds with 15-second rests.

To put that into perspective, on fight night a professional boxer is expected to complete three-minute rounds with a one-minute break after each stanza.

“It was four-minute rounds with 15-second breaks in between,” Salita added.

“I didn’t know how tough it was until I got in the ring with him.

“Floyd gave me a bit of a black eye, and I fought ten days later and still had it a little bit but everyone said ‘Floyd did it’ so it was a bit of a trophy.”

Mayweather was better known for his technical prowess than for his raw knockout power.

As a pro, he had a decent but by no means extraordinary 54 per cent knockout-to-win ratio, with 27 of his 50 wins coming inside the distance.

Most of those occurred during the early portion of his career when he was fighting closer to his natural weight.

However, he did manage to close out his career in style by stopping dual-weight UFC champion Conor McGregor in the 10th round of their crossover clash at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

CELEB NEWS

Simone Biles expresses her love for husband Jonathan Owens as she reflects on 2024

Simone Biles ends the year with a heartwarming post on her social media handle, expressing her love for her husband Jonathan Owens, the Chicago Bears football safety.

American gymnastics legend Simone Biles once again shared her love for husband Jonathan Owens, the Chicago Bears football safety, as she bid farewell to an immensely successful year, 2024. Biles and Owens are one of the hottest athletic couples due to their love and support for each other throughout their careers and personal lives. Both Biles and Owens witnessed an incredible 2024, where the former became the most decorated Olympic gymnast for the United States after surpassing Shannon Miller with 11 Olympic medals, while the latter also proved to be an asset for his NFL team.

With all that being said, Biles recently shared pictures of how her 2024 looked, and her affection for her football safety husband was again on display.

Biles and Owens being the couple goals

The gymnastics icon took to her Instagram handle on Wednesday, January 1, and shared a streak of pictures featuring her most notable moments from the last year. The post started with a still of Biles and Owens posing in a stadium, while the post also featured her twin sister, Adria Biles; fellow gymnasts Zoe Miller and Jordan Chiles; her Paris Olympic gold-winning team; and the Gold Over American Tour squad, but her husband was the highlight as she shared multiple pictures of him.

Sharing the pictures, Simone Biles captioned:

BOXING

Claressa Shields not interested in MMA fight but believes ‘I would f* Cris Cyborg up in a street fight’

Claressa Shields is ready to fight Cris Cyborg in 2025.

Training partners once upon a time, the relationship between Shields and Cyborg became acrimonious over the past few years. That animosity only ramped up in 2024 with Cyborg calling Shields out for a possible meeting in either the boxing ring or the PFL cage.

But Shields believes it’s all talk coming from Cyborg.

“She wants the clout,” Shields told the Pound 4 Pound podcast recently. “That’s what Cris Cyborg wants. Ain’t nobody paying attention to no Cris Cyborg no more. She’s old and I’m new. I’m popping right now. She’s a hater. And when we sparred, I kicked her ass, easy. She’s lucky I didn’t knock her ass out because the way she was looking, like a deer up in headlights. …

“She’s talking about she wants to fight me,” Shields continued. “Well, bitch come do it! Come fight me! I don’t understand what we’re waiting on. She’s like, ‘Oh, I want you to come to MMA.’ No, you idiot. I’m not going to MMA. You said you would knock me out if we wore eight-ounce gloves at 154 pounds. I don’t give a damn if we wear four-ounce gloves, I’m going to sleep Cris Cyborg, because what? She cannot fight. You’re an MMA fighter!”

A two-time Olympic gold medalist, Shields is a five-weight world champion in boxing and widely regarded as one of the best female boxers in the world. Still just 29 years old, Shields has also flirted some with MMA, taking three fights in the PFL, including a split decision win over Kelsey DeSantis back in February.

In contrast, Cyborg is one of the most accomplished female MMA fighters ever, who began dabbling in boxing over the past few years, with a 4-0 professional record.

Given their respective backgrounds, it’s clear that Shields would have a big advantage in a boxing match, while Cyborg would be an overwhelming favorite in an MMA fight. And though Shields clearly has no love for Cyborg at this point, even she acknowledges that facing her in MMA would not be to her advantage.

BOXING

Tyson Fury’s retirement statements in full as quitting stance clear after Oleksandr Usyk

Boxing superstar Tyson Fury has always been open with fight fans about his retirement intentions, with rumors again circling that the former world champion could hang up his gloves

Dethroned heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury has made his thoughts on retirement clear after successive losses to Oleksandr Usyk.

‘The Gypsy King’ lost his undefeated record to Usyk back in May 2024 when he suffered a split-decision defeat to Usyk. Boxing ace Fury, 36, hoped to avenge that result in their rematch last month but ended up succumbing in even more decisive fashion.

Given his advanced age and having missed out on his chance to become undisputed champ, it’s understandable talk has turned to potential retirement. But Fury has already dropped a heavy hint he has no intention of calling time on his career just yet.

“What’s next for me? I’m going home and having some time off,” he said after his second loss in Saudi Arabia. When asked if fans will see him fight again, he replied: “You might do, you might not. Who knows? We’ll talk about that next year.”

Those comments were fairly ambiguous on the fighter’s future following a tough year for Fury. However, The Sun has since reported the boxing icon has told close friends: “It’s not over.”

It wouldn’t be the first time Fury has walked away from the fight game. In fact, more than a decade has passed since The Gypsy King first announced his departure in November 2013 when his scheduled fight with David Haye collapsed for a second time.

“Hi everyone, I have officially retired from boxing,” he wrote on X (then Twitter). “There’s too many bent (crooked) people in the sport. They will have to f— someone else. Goodbye boxing.”

That pledge proved to be short-lived, considering he fought Joey Abell just three months later and continued his career at a steady pace. Almost 10 years passed before he once again said he was retiring in 2022, having defeated Dillian Whyte at Wembley in a sixth-round finish.

BOXING

Anthony Joshua eyes third world title, targets Tyson Fury in 2025

Two-time world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, has set his sights on becoming a three-time world champion by facing off against Tyson Fury in 2025.

The British-Nigerian boxer revealed his ambitions while speaking to journalists during a visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the president’s Ikoyi residence in Lagos on Wednesday.

“My target is to become a three-time world champion and fight Tyson Fury in 2025,” Joshua stated confidently.

Reflecting on the ups and downs of his career, he acknowledged past setbacks, but reaffirmed his commitment to rising stronger, saying “of course, I should have won [past matches], but I didn’t. I can’t stop now; I have to keep going until I reach my destination.”

Joshua, who is in Nigeria for the holiday season, described the energy in the country as “10/10″, expressing gratitude for the warm reception by President Tinubu and praised the hospitality extended to him and his family.

“They did an amazing job hosting me. I got to see how the country is organized and run and learn about the big plans for the future,” he said.

Discussing his plans for 2025, Joshua emphasised his determination to seize every opportunity and improve on his past performances.

“Hunger makes you want to work harder because time is limited. When I look back at 2024, I believe I could have done more, and now I have another chance in 2025. I’m going to make sure I take every opportunity,” he said.

Asked about the prospect of facing Tyson Fury, Joshua acknowledged the uncertainty, but welcomed the challenge.

We’ll see. Let’s get in the ring. Only God knows, but for me, we’ll see in the future,” he remarked.

Joshua also shared a heartfelt message for Nigerians, both at home and in the diaspora.

“To all Nigerians in the diaspora, you have a place called home. It’s a beautiful place, and the energy here is unbelievable. I love you all with my heart,” he said, pledging to support local communities.