Australia 'back on the tracks' for Lions series
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Metro
19 minutes ago
- Metro
Tyson Fury may be lured out of retirement for third fight with unbelievable Usyk
If they ever decide to remake classic sci-fi action thriller The Terminator then Oleksandr Usyk would be a natural for the role originally played to chilling effect by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The similarities between the cyborg assassin sent back from 2029 to kill the woman carrying the unborn baby boy who can save the world from extinction and the all-time boxing great are stunning. The relentless robot, according to the promotional poster for the iconic movie, feels no pity, no pain, no fear. It's something unstoppable. That's exactly what you see when you look into the eyes of the 38-year-old Ukrainian who demolished Daniel Dubois in five devastating rounds at Wembley on Saturday night. The British boxer was brutally taken apart, crashing to the canvas twice in the fifth round before his corner threw in the towel at the same time the fight was waved off by the referee. Usyk ripped the IBF title away from the Londoner to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world for a second time and, don't forget, he also held all the belts to unify the cruiserweight division before stepping up to the ultimate level. There were more than 90,000 fans packed into the famous stadium, but such is the East European's popularity that it was anything but a partisan crowd cheering on the hometown boy. It was the second time Usyk has beaten Dubois, as he stopped him in the ninth round when they met in Poland two years ago, and he improved his record to 24 unbeaten fights as a professional. The big question is what happens next as the distance between Usyk and the realistic contenders is enormous. He's never fought in Ukraine and if he is thinking of hanging up his gloves he would surely relish the opportunity to bow out in front of an adoring following in Kiev. New Zealand's improving Joseph Parker is the boxer most likely to be next in line but the big money would be a fight against Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury, both of whom he has fought and beaten twice. The way AJ was taken apart by Dubois last year means he's some way off being ready to touch gloves with Usyk for a third time and the self-styled Gypsy King would have to come out of retirement once again – something his comments on Saturday night suggest he is more than happy to do. Bookmakers think Fury is the most likely option and have priced up that fight with the British mean machine 9/5 to triumph with Paddy Power, Betfair and Sky Bet and Usyk 4/9 with the same firms to prevail. He has insisted his thoughts are currently centred around resting and spending time with his family but make no mistake: he'll be back. Greyhound fan Gerwyn Price can make a fast start to his bid for a first World Matchplay title at Blackpool when he faces Daryl Gurney in the first round at the seaside resort's beautiful Winter Gardens. Price has just retired his brilliant racer Iceman's Girl but could name his next track star something like Empress Wonder if he wins one of darts' top prizes in the glorious ballroom where the tournament is held and he's 8/1 with sponsors Betfred to be the last man standing at the oche on Sunday. More Trending After being victorious at both the Poland Darts Masters and the Baltic Sea Darts Open in recent weeks it no surprise Price is no better than 1/3 with bet365, SpreadEx and Sporting Index to defeat his Northern Ireland opponent so take the 7/1 with BetMGM and Unibet he eases into the second round with a 10-6 victory. British duo Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter prepare for their assaults on the US Open by competing in this week's Citi Open in Washington and both can make winning starts. Raducanu makes her first outing since a gallant effort in a straight sets defeat to Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon when she faced seventh seed Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine and is 3/1 with Betfred to win 2-1. Greece's Maria Sakkari is on the other side of the net in Boulder's first round match and is 3/4 to win outright with Bet Victor. MORE: Not Joshua or Fury – Lennox Lewis names only man who can beat Oleksandr Usyk MORE: Engine of Boeing passenger plane bursts into flames during takeoff MORE: The tragic life of Saudi 'Sleeping Prince' who never woke up from 20-year coma
STV News
20 minutes ago
- STV News
Sione Tuipulotu fuelled by 'chip on shoulder' as he returns to Melbourne
Sione Tuipulotu returns to Melbourne carrying the chip on his shoulder that has driven his rise to becoming a British and Irish Lion. Tuipulotu has touched down in the city where he was born and raised for what he hopes will become a glorious homecoming given a series triumph over Australia is the prize at stake following Saturday's 27-19 victory in the first Test. Six years ago he left for Japan, angry that his time at the Melbourne Rebels had failed to produce international recognition beyond the Junior Wallabies and having taken up an offer to play for Glasgow, he qualified for Scotland through his grandmother. The 28-year-old has never looked back, going on to captain his adopted homeland while becoming one of the game's finest centres. No longer bitter at being rejected by Australia, he realises the scars have served him well. 'If you had asked me when I first moved from Melbourne I would say yeah, it's personal,' Tuipulotu said. 'There's still a chip on my shoulder. What has got me to this point is having that chip on my shoulder. But in terms of me being bitter about Australian rugby, not at all. 'I wasn't good enough to play for the Wallabies when I was in Melbourne. It wasn't a selector problem, I wasn't good enough, that's plain and simple. 'I owe everything to Scottish rugby because they've made me the player that I am today. 'Now I get the chance to go back to Melbourne and play in my home city and hopefully close out a Test series. The stars have aligned for me and I feel very grateful.' PA Media Tuipulotu was installed at inside centre ahead of Bundee Aki for the series opener in Brisbane and Andy Farrell's decision was rewarded with the Scotland captain's best performance on tour. Recovery from the damaged pectoral muscle that forced him to miss the Six Nations has proved challenging and it is only now that the hard-running, ball-playing midfielder is finding his stride. A first-half try decorated his evening's work at Suncorp Stadium, which was made easier by the presence of his Scotland team-mates Finn Russell and Huw Jones. 'It was such a huge occasion but having Finn inside me and Huw outside me made it pretty special. I'm so familiar with those boys,' he said. 'I've been rooming with Finn this whole week and being around him made me not overreact to the occasion. 'It felt like we were playing a Scotland game together because we room together back with Scotland. PA Media 'His nature helps everyone and calms everyone. Then you add to that that he's got one of the best skill sets of any ten in the world and it's a joy to play with. 'Everyone knows what I think about Huw Jones. It just feels like he's bigger and faster than everyone.' The Lions know Australia will throw everything at them at Melbourne Cricket Ground – and intend hitting back hard. 'We expect them to be desperate but not more desperate than us because we're trying to close out a series next Saturday,' Tuipulotu said. 'We were pretty dominant in the first Test but the good thing for us is that it was nowhere near our best performance.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- South Wales Guardian
Sione Tuipulotu fuelled by ‘chip on shoulder' as he returns to Melbourne
Tuipulotu has touched down in the city where he was born and raised for what he hopes will become a glorious homecoming given a series triumph over Australia is the prize at stake following Saturday's 27-19 victory in the first Test. Six years ago he left for Japan, angry that his time at the Melbourne Rebels had failed to produce international recognition beyond the Junior Wallabies and having taken up an offer to play for Glasgow, he qualified for Scotland through his grandmother. The 28-year-old has never looked back, going on to captain his adopted homeland while becoming one of the game's finest centres. No longer bitter at being rejected by Australia, he realises the scars have served him well. 'If you had asked me when I first moved from Melbourne I would say yeah, it's personal,' Tuipulotu said. 'There's still a chip on my shoulder. What has got me to this point is having that chip on my shoulder. But in terms of me being bitter about Australian rugby, not at all. 'I wasn't good enough to play for the Wallabies when I was in Melbourne. It wasn't a selector problem, I wasn't good enough, that's plain and simple. 'I owe everything to Scottish rugby because they've made me the player that I am today. 'Now I get the chance to go back to Melbourne and play in my home city and hopefully close out a Test series. The stars have aligned for me and I feel very grateful.' Tuipulotu was installed at inside centre ahead of Bundee Aki for the series opener in Brisbane and Andy Farrell's decision was rewarded with the Scotland captain's best performance on tour. Recovery from the damaged pectoral muscle that forced him to miss the Six Nations has proved challenging and it is only now that the hard-running, ball-playing midfielder is finding his stride. A first-half try decorated his evening's work at Suncorp Stadium, which was made easier by the presence of his Scotland team-mates Finn Russell and Huw Jones. 'It was such a huge occasion but having Finn inside me and Huw outside me made it pretty special. I'm so familiar with those boys,' he said. 'I've been rooming with Finn this whole week and being around him made me not overreact to the occasion. Finn 🤝 Sione Sione gets the first try of the match in Brisbane 👊 — Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) July 19, 2025 'It felt like we were playing a Scotland game together because we room together back with Scotland. 'His nature helps everyone and calms everyone. Then you add to that that he's got one of the best skill sets of any 10 in the world and it's a joy to play with. 'Everyone knows what I think about Huw Jones. It just feels like he's bigger and faster than everyone.' The Lions know Australia will throw everything at them at Melbourne Cricket Ground – and intend hitting back hard. 'We expect them to be desperate but not more desperate than us because we're trying to close out a series next Saturday,' Tuipulotu said. 'We were pretty dominant in the first Test but the good thing for us is that it was nowhere near our best performance.'
