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Comment: The former world No 1 retired last week, but was subjected to questions about her weight at the Laureus Awards in Madrid, Molly McElwee examines Spain’s ongoing issue surrounding sexism in sport

ormer world No 1 Garbine Muguruza is Spain’s best female tennis player of the last decade. So when she retired earlier this month, aged just 30, she faced all the queries you might expect: why now? What will you miss about tennis? What will you do next?

One question though, she was not anticipating. On the red carpet, at the Laureus Awards in Madrid last week, Muguruza faced a throng of journalists and one piped up: “[People] were saying they can tell you’ve stopped training, especially on social media, people were attacking you harshly because of the shape you are in…”

Garbine Muguruza : Latest News, Videos and Photos on Garbine Muguruza -  India.Com News

 

 

Muguruza’s eyes widened momentarily, as she was clearly taken aback. Then, she laughed. What else was she meant to do with that kind of question, four microphones and as many cameras thrust in her face?

Muguruza might have thought the days of answering questions about her body were over, considering she has no intention of playing professional tennis again. There is also the more obvious point: that it is frankly no one’s business.

On a red carpet, with dozens of paparazzi, journalists and people brandishing smartphone cameras to track her every move, the very last thing she might want to be reminded of are social media trolls. Namely those that have decided she no longer fits the impossible beauty standards set for women – let alone those expected for an elite female athlete.

Garbine Muguruza : Latest News, Videos and Photos on Garbine Muguruza -  India.Com News

But still she managed this ludicrous question with incredible poise. “Well, if I don’t train what’s going to happen?” Muguruza said, forcing another serene smile. “I want to live life, enjoy life. A training regimen is extremely hard, so when you can live life more and relax, you want to enjoy it. The physique of an Olympic athlete, we all know…” she let out another laugh. “Let’s be clear – the important thing is to stay healthy and enjoy life.”

 

The clip of Muguruza’s response has gained traction across Spain and created widespread debate. She has been praised for how she dealt with the situation by some, and rightly so. But she should not have been put in it in the first place.

Spain’s sports culture has been placed under the microscope in recent months, with sexism and inequality top of the agenda. It began with the former chief of the Spanish football federation Luis Rubiales planting an unsolicited kiss on striker Jenni Hermoso’s mouth during the World Cup trophy ceremony last August.

FLINT, MI – Flint boxer Claressa Shields will host a block party at Berston Field House to rally support for her upcoming heavyweight title.

Shields, otherwise known as the “GWOAT,” is hosting an event from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 21, at Berston Field House, 3300 Saginaw St., on the city’s north side.

The free block party at Berston will feature music, food, giveaways and performances from specialguests.

Shields is stepping up two weight classes to take on WBC heavyweight champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse, 28, on Saturday, July 27, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

Claressa Shields takes jab at boxing establishment | CNN

 

At stake will be the WBC heavyweight championship, WBA interim light heavyweight title and WBC light heavyweight championship.

If she wins the fight, it would be the fourth weight division in which Shields, 29, has won a world boxing championship.

In addition to the middleweight division, Shields previously won world championship belts as a super welterweight and super middleweight.
Claressa Shields is giving this boxer the 'best chance' of winning an  Olympic gold medal | DAZN News GB

The two-time Olympic boxing champion has a 14-0 professional record with two knockouts. Lepage-Joanisse’s record stands at 7-1 with two knockouts.

Berston Field House served as a training ground for Shields growing up in Flint.

The community center is located across the street from where she grew up.

In 2022, Flint named the street after Shields.

Davis ranked among the world’s top 10 boxers

Gervonta Davis, also known as “Tank,” has made a name for himself in the world of professional boxing. With a net worth of $10 million, he has secured numerous world championship titles, including the IBF super featherweight title and the WBA lightweight and super featherweight titles. In 2022, he was recognized as the tenth-best boxer in the world by the Boxing Writers Association of America. However, Davis has also faced legal issues, particularly related to domestic violence charges.

Born on November 7, 1994, in Baltimore, Maryland, Davis attended Digital Harbor High School before dropping out to pursue his boxing career. His journey in the sport began at the age of five when he started training at the Upton Boxing Center under Calvin Ford.

Gervonta Davis 

As an amateur boxer, Davis achieved significant success, winning multiple National Silver Gloves Championships and the National Golden Gloves Championship. He also secured two National Junior Olympics gold medals and two Ringside World Championships, finishing his amateur career with an impressive 206-15 record.

Davis transitioned to professional boxing in early 2013 and quickly made an impact with a knockout victory in his debut match against Desi Williams. He continued to build an undefeated streak, defeating notable opponents such as Israel Suarez and Alberto Mora. In early 2017, Davis faced off against José Pedraza for the IBF super featherweight title and emerged victorious with a knockout in the seventh round.

From amateur prodigy to pro dominance

Reflecting on his career, Davis stated, “I’ve worked hard to get to where I am today, and I’m grateful for the opportunities that have come my way.” His determination and skill have propelled him to success in the ring, earning him recognition as a formidable boxer in the industry.

Gervonta Davis

Despite his professional achievements, Davis has faced challenges outside of boxing. His involvement in legal issues related to domestic violence has garnered attention and raised concerns. These incidents have overshadowed his accomplishments in the sport and sparked discussions about accountability and responsibility as a public figure.

Gervonta “Tank” Davis has achieved significant success in professional boxing, securing multiple world championship titles and earning recognition as one of the top boxers globally. However, his legal troubles have also been a prominent aspect of his public image, highlighting the complexities of fame and responsibility.

Champion criticizes new league as Kingdom aims to reshape the sport

Saudi Arabia is making waves in the sports world, and boxing is the latest arena they’re conquering. The kingdom has been organizing some of the biggest sporting events, and they’re doing it exceptionally well. Just last month, Riyadh hosted the highly anticipated Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury match for the undisputed heavyweight title, setting a new benchmark in the sport.

But that’s not all-Saudi Arabia is also home to other notable boxing events like the Matchroom vs. Queensberry 5 vs 5 card. And now, the kingdom’s influence is about to get even bigger with a proposed $4-5 billion boxing league backed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Gervonta Davis

This new league aims to unify the fragmented world of boxing by bringing together fighters, promoters, broadcasters, and sanctioning bodies under one roof. The plan is to kick off this ambitious project sometime next year, promising to reshape the sport’s landscape. While the idea of a unified league might sound revolutionary to some, not everyone is thrilled. WBA lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis has been vocal about his skepticism and isn’t too eager to fight in Saudi Arabia.

Davis recently secured a knockout victory over Frank Martin at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. However, his enthusiasm for Saudi Arabia’s new league is lukewarm at best. When asked about His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, Davis didn’t hold back. “If he feel like he got the power coz he got the cash, so it’s like let me sh*t on everybody else,” Davis remarked. He also criticized the potential sidelining of promoters, saying, “It’s somewhat good I would say for the sport, but I don’t know. So you want to kick everybody out! All the promoters! That’s crazy.”

His Excellency Turki Alalshikh had something to say to Davis

Gervonta Davis

The drama escalated when His Excellency Turki Alalshikh responded to Davis’s demands for luxury cars in exchange for a fight in Saudi Arabia. “If they want me they gotta send me something… like 2 Ferraris,” Davis had tweeted. Alalshikh didn’t mince words in his reply on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Hour show, saying, “I heard (what) Davis said… I say to him: we will send you two gloves if you want, that’s it!” Davis, clearly unimpressed, fired back with his own comments, asserting he doesn’t need Saudi Arabia to sell fights.

Boxing’s history has always been defined by its promoters, and a unified league could indeed disrupt the traditional structure. While some may see this as an evolution, Davis clearly sees it as a threat to the promoters’ role in the sport. Saudi Arabia has proven its prowess in organizing top-tier boxing events. A fight involving a star like Gervonta Davis would undoubtedly be a spectacle fans wouldn’t want to miss. Whether or not Davis will ever fight in Saudi Arabia remains to be seen.

Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis made a triumphant return to the ring after more than a year away, dominating Frank Martin and knocking him out at 1:29 of the eighth round Saturday night to retain the WBA lightweight championship.

Davis delivered a right and two lefts to Martin’s face to send the Indianapolis resident to the canvas for his first career loss after he won his first 18 fights. Tank again proved to be one of boxing’s most ferocious punchers, improving to 30-0 – all but two by knockout.

This fight further solidified Davis, a Baltimore native and resident, as one of his sport’s top pound-for-pound boxers.

Gervonta Davis

That bout between 29-year-olds headlined the 100th championship fight night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, which has been supplanted by T-Mobile Arena as Las Vegas’ prime spot for combat sports. To mark the occasion, four title fights took place, including the interim WBC light heavyweight championship that David Benavidez won by unanimous decision over Oleksandr Gvozdyk.

But there was no doubt who the main attractions were on this night, and that was clear at Wednesday’s press conference. Davis and Martin bantered back and forth during the Wednesday news conference. Then when the two boxers did the traditional poses afterward, Davis pretended to take a swing at Martin. Martin flinched and Davis left the podium laughing.

This was Davis’ first fight since 22 April 2023, when he delivered a devastating left uppercut that handed Ryan Garcia a seventh-round knockout at T-Mobile Arena.

The 421-day layoff showed early as Martin won two of the first three rounds, including a right that caught Davis in the face.

That seemed to wake up Davis, who then took over the fight by repeatedly sending Martin into ropes and corners. Davis appeared ready to finish off Martin with several hard blows in the sixth round, bringing the pro-Tank crowd of 13,239 to its feet.

Gervonta Davis

Benavidez (29-0) made a successful debut in his move up from super middleweight. The Las Vegas resident defeated Gvozdyk (20-2), a Ukraine native who trains in Oxnard, California, by scores of 116-112, 117-111 and 119-109.

Alberto Puello (23-0) of the Dominican Republic won the WBC interim super lightweight championship with a split decision over Gary Russell (17-1) of Capitol Heights, Maryland. Two judges gave Puello the victory with scores of 115-112 and 114-113 and another had it for Russell 118-109.

Dominican middleweight champion Carlos Adames (24-1) retained his WBC belt with a unanimous decision over Terrell Gausha (24-4-1) of Encino, California. Two judges scored the fight 118-110 and the other had it 119-109.

Heisman Trophy winner and Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels was among those in attendance. Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard, Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan and coach Antonio Pierce and owner Mark Davis of the Las Vegas Raiders also were in the crowd.

Tiger Woods will not be playing the weekend at this week’s Open Championship, in the aftermath admitted it will be a long while before he returns to action

Tiger Woods has announced he will be taking a break from competitive golf after enduring a tough week at The Open Championship at Royal Troon.

Woods’ championship ended prematurely on Friday, finishing at 14-over-par through 36-holes, missing the cut by some distance. Much had been said heading into the event about his future, with Colin Montgomerie suggesting it could well be time for the 48-year-old to call time on his career.

Tiger Woods

Woods however had other ideas, teeing it up at Royal Troon in his fifth start of 2024 having competed at the Genesis Invitational, as well as the Masters, PGA Championship and US Open.

On the back of a difficult week, the 15-time major champion confirmed in the aftermath that he would not be teeing it up on the PGA Tour until the Hero World Challenge in December. “I’m not going to play until then [the Hero World Challenge],” Woods said.

“I’m going to just keep getting physically better and keep working on it.” The three-time Open champion also outlined his plans to once again play in the PNC Championship, where he will partner his son Charlie.

He added: “Hopefully just come back for our, what is it, our fifth major, the Father/Son [PNC Championship], so looking forward to it.” Many wondered whether this would be Woods’ last Open, having struggled to compete, whilst also offering a wave to the Troon galleries on his way off the 18th.

This was not an Open goodbye though, with Woods admitting afterwards that he has every intention of competing at Royal Portrush next year. Asked if he will be playing at the Northern Irish setup in 2025, he replied: “Next year’s Open? Yeah, definitely,” with a wide smile.

Tiger Woods

Having kicked off his championship with an eight-over 79 on Thursday, Woods left himself with plenty of work to do in round two, but once again struggled to find his best golf. A seven-over 78 followed on day two, with the testing Troon conditions proving all too much for the 82-time PGA Tour winner.

Assessing his Friday, Woods said: “Well it wasn’t very good. I made a double there at 2 right out of the hopper when I needed to go the other way. Just was fighting it pretty much all day. I never really hit it close enough to make birdies and consequently made a lot of bogeys.”

“Really glad to be at the same table as Novak to do it,” Carlos Alcaraz declared after his Wimbledon victory, joining the elite group that had won multiple slam titles in the same calendar year. Winning against the GOAT-in-waiting Novak Djokovic twice at the All England Tennis Club is indeed a work of art. But Carlitos has mastered it with his expertise in tennis by pulling back Djokovic from attaining his eighth title in London. It’s pretty neat, isn’t it? Roger Federer’s ex-coach, Ivan Ljubicic, is of a similar opinion too. Ljubicic’s take on Djokovic’s recent slump throws a wrench into the whole narrative.

With an extra layer of disadvantage working on his side, Djokovic, who came into the tournament after recovering from a torn meniscus surgery, faced a defeat at the hands of his 21-year-old opponent by 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(4). Even he could not deny the formidable force of the four-time Grand Slam champion, Alcaraz. “He had it all today. I tried to push him, save the three match points, and extend the match a little bit but it wasn’t meant to be. He was an absolutely deserved winner today so congratulations to him,” Djokovic said after the match.

roger federer Novak Djokovic

 

 “I need everything he tells me from the box, and it’s really helpful to give my 100% on the court,” Alcaraz firmly stated about his coach earlier. Clearly, he knows his game quite well. However, such is not the case for Djokovic, who acted as a lone warrior to propel himself forward in the game. Speaking on this major difference in their approach, Federer’s ex-coach stated, “Carlos was unplayable. Novak lacked reaction. He never looked at his box. And it’s difficult to play against Carlos like that.”

The 37-year-old tennis player recently called it quits on working with his seven-year coach, Goran Ivanisevic, and temporarily joined hands with Boris Bosnjakovic at the French Open. However, the Serbian tennis star couldn’t get past the quarterfinals in the red clay event because of his knee injuries. Now his Wimbledon record is also not showing the best results. Naturally, apart from his lack of form, the question of the need for guidance to keep up his performance is not unusual.

But on the other side, Alcaraz is undeniably enjoying his best season this year, with two back-to-back grand slams in his bucket. In his clash against Djokovic, Alcaraz established a lead over him from the very start. He kept Djokovic guessing where the ball might hit, slowly closing in on him, with his amazing drop shots and powerful forehand strokes. When the game was at 6-2, 2-0, Djokovic could only acquire four points among his 14 approaches to the net.

Hinting at this intimidating challenge posed by Carlitos, Ljubicic alluded to the importance of guidance from the player’s box to fight back in this situation. Besides Alcaraz’s current coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, has also shared his perspective after watching Djokovic’s gameplay at Wimbledon.

Novak Djokovic

Ferrero criticized Djokovic’s form at Wimbledon

“Growth has to be there. We have to keep going. I think that now, at 21, you can’t stop growing,” said Ferrero, who has been guiding Alcaraz for over six years now. But when it came to describing his opponent’s performance, the former French Open champion expressed his surprise on the subject.

“I was a little surprised by Djokovic’s level today. I think he felt outclassed from the start. It was hard for him to keep up with Carlos’ pace and ball speed. It’s true that last year he was better, maybe this year, not being at 100%, it was a little harder for him,” he said.

July 14 (UPI) — Carlos Alcaraz’s felt-shredding forehands and ball-blurring serves forced uncharacteristic blunders from Novak Djokovic en route to his second-consecutive Wimbledon title Sunday in London.

The Spaniard unleashed 41 winners in the 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(4) victory — his first straight-sets win over Djokovic — at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. His Serbian foe, whose serve was broken just five times through the first six rounds of the tournament, was broken five more times in the finale.

 

“It’s a dream for me winning this trophy,” Alcaraz said on the ESPN broadcast. “It’s a great feeling to play on this beautiful court and win this amazing trophy.

“For me, this is the most beautiful tournament, the most beautiful court and the most beautiful trophy.”

Novak Djokovic

The victory denied Djokovic of a 25th singles title, which would have broken Margaret Court’s overall record for the most women’s or men’s Grand Slam crowns.

Alcaraz, who also beat Djokovic in the 2023 Wimbledon finale, earned his second-consecutive Grand Slam title — following the 2024 French Open — for the first time of his career.

“It was obviously not the result I wanted, especially the first couple of sets,” Djokovic said. “The level of tennis wasn’t up to par from my side, but credit to Carlos for really playing some amazing tennis, very complete tennis, from the back of the court, serve, I mean, he had it all today.

Can prime Floyd Mayweather beat Gervonta Davis? While an actual fight between them is never happening, this didn’t stop boxing commentator ShowBizz the Adult from pitting the former promoter boxer duo against each other in a fantasy clash! And boy, does a fight between them look spicy!

As many are well aware of, ‘Money’ Mayweather retired from the sport back in 2017 after a win against Conor McGregor in a crossover boxing match. In contrast, Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis has just stepped into his prime years, having defeated Frank Martin in his last outing. But the question is, will Mayweather’s defense prove too much for ‘Tank’? Or will Davis’ destructive power tear through Mayweather’s defense?

Gervonta Davis and Floyd Mayweather

Speaking about the subject in a clip he shared on his X account today, the boxing commentator suggested a fight between Floyd and Davis would be great at 135-pounds. However, from the beginning, he had the winner in his mind. He said, “But Ima tell you this though Floyd wins”.

While many would agree with ShowBizz, he goes on to emphasize Mayweather’s speed to justify his prediction. “Floyd got a great ass chin, Floyd is a killer, and he may be twice the speed of Tank. People forget how fast Floyd was”, said the boxing commentator. He goes as far as to compare Mayweather’s speed to one of boxing’s biggest legends.

“Floyd handspeed would rival Sugar Ray Leonard. Remember Pretty Boy, how he would be like his arms would be out here, and he will be just depending on his reflexes and Bam Bam”, said ShowBizz. Claiming to have thought about this fantasy matchup for a couple of weeks, ShowBizz the Adult doubled down on his prediction by repeating Floyd would win.

Floyd Mayweather

Floyd Mayweather is 47! Yes, he partakes in exhibition boxing matches every now and then, but none of his opponents are near the caliber of the boxer Davis is. Time and age come for every boxer and Mayweather is no different—it would be extremely unlikely for Mayweather to have retained his speed and power. Gervonta Davis would easily steamroll through the former five division champion.

And get this, even ‘Tank’ Davis’ coach feels the same way, as he challenged Floyd Mayweather for an actual fight against Davis!

Tyson Fury is not in the latest IBF heavyweight rankings and has been replaced by Bakhodir Jalolov.

The ‘Gypsy King’ recently lost the first fight of his career as he succumbed to a points defeat in his undisputed clash with Oleksandr Usyk in May.

Following the loss of his WBC crown, Fury became a standard contender and so entered the rankings of the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO like any other fighter.

Now though, the IBF have removed the Briton from their latest heavyweight world rankings.

Usyk Is Too Small To Beat Elite Heavyweights, Says Tyson Fury

 

He has been replaced by heavyweight prospect Jalolov who sits in 13th.

But the reason for this makes sense – the IBF have no need to rank Fury given Usyk has vacated their title.

Fury is set to meet Usyk on December 21 in an immediate sequel, which will not involve the IBF.

Instead, only the WBA, WBC and WBO belts are at stake.

As he is challenging for those three instead, Fury has been removed from the rankings of the IBF.

However, Fury could yet become IBF champion again in future if he beats Usyk.

This is because it is being planned for the winner of Fury’s revenge bid against the Ukrainian to face the winner of Daniel Dubois’ IBF title defence against Anthony Joshua on September 21.

Dubois was upgraded to IBF world champion after Usyk vacated the belt, given he was the ‘interim’ title-holder.

Andy Ruiz 'Sure' Who Wins Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk Rematch: "It Could Be  His Last Fight" - Seconds Out

 

So Joshua is now the leading ranked contender behind Dubois as he bids to become a three-time heavyweight world champion.

Agit Kabayel, Jared Anderson and Zhilei Zhang sit immediately behind Joshua in the rankings as they look to cement their name in the world title mix.

British pair Joe Joyce and Fabio Wardley sit in 10th and 12th respectively ahead of Jalolov, and it is an exciting time for the blue-riband division.

Fury has already began training for his chance to turn around his loss to ‘The Cat’.

And he has sent Usyk a video message already with months still to go until their next episode.

He said: “Listen up! I’ve conquered everything in boxing – titles, records, the lot. But I’ve never had to come back from a loss.

“On December 21st in Riyadh, in the heart of the kingdom, the king will reclaim his throne and become undisputed.

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