Wilkinson revels in 'redemption' win against Crolla
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BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Long day, short temper, but MacIntyre does level best
Six hours is a long time to spend on a golf course. Too long, according to Bob MacIntyre. It was just shy of nine at night by the time the Scot stopped to unpick his level-par first round at this Open Championship - and he was burst and wanting up the swearing that soundtracked his stomp up the 15th had given way to weariness; little wonder given the wave of emotions he rode at Royal Portrush on until the middle of the afternoon to begin your first round - as MacIntyre did - must fray the edges of the nerves as well as patience. So, too, must the swollen galleries at each hole of this natural ampitheatre on the Antrim coast, even if they were primarily just getting themselves into position to see Rory McIlroy come through a couple of groups though, cut an unflustered figure in the company of major champions Justin Rose and Bryson DeChambeau. Having come so close at last month's US Open, this is now his crucible. "Got off to the perfect start, didn't I? Three-under early doors, playing beautifully," was the 28-year-old's take on his first eight was right. A seven-foot birdie putt on the par-3 third was followed by further sub-par scores on seven and eight after two delightful approach shots to five gave the course back those two shots in the next two holes after "a couple of awkward tee shots, a couple of awkward approach shots". That measured assessment was in vivid contrast to the ferocity that was to come. "Wow. Wow," was his reaction after birdie putt on 13 stayed above ground before his scorecard holder took a sharp slap after bogey on 14 returned him to level. He was still fulminating to his caddie as he barrelled up 15 - punctuating his grievance with all the good swears - then made to snap a club over his knee after spraying his second off to the right and leaving a chip 10 feet short of the hole."Just so bad," he groused, far more profanely than the BBC censors would allow. At this stage, MacIntyre looked like he could well set fire to the entirely of Portrush with his fury, never mind his chances of contending this a slap of an iron on the 16th ripped to 12 feet and the anger dissipated. He and Rose blethered their way up to the green and, even though the wind played havoc with his birdie putt, the Scot had found his shape up 17 and 18 ensured he would be no more than four back, despite his travails."I thought I managed to keep a lid on it fairly well," MacIntyre said, admirably keeping a straight face. "There were a couple of swears out there, but it's difficult. "When you get off to the start I got off to, you're thinking you should be three or four under, but level par's a solid day. "The way I was scrambling with the last four holes, I would have have taken that." As well as leaving him well in the mix, it was also enough to ensure MacIntyre ended the day as the leading Connor Graham and Cameron Adam both made their way round in 73, while Daniel Young was two worse off.
Times
3 hours ago
- Times
Oleksandr Usyk v Daniel Dubois 2: Start time, preview, TV details
For one man, a hall-of-fame career could be coming to an end. For the other, a victory could usher in the start of a new era of heavyweight dominance. The brilliant champion Oleksandr Usyk, at 38, has nothing left to prove, but feels like he has at least one more defence left. Daniel Dubois, 11 years his junior, has not had a smooth path to this point but is in the best form of his career. After waiting 25 years for an undisputed heavyweight title fight, two come along in the space of 14 months. Saturday night's main event at Wembley between Ukraine's Usyk and Britain's Dubois will, however, be the first time that such a fight has been held in this country. These two fighters have history, Usyk beating the far less experienced Dubois inside nine rounds in 2023. However, a contentious low blow landed earlier in the bout by Dubois left Usyk on the canvas, and the Greenwich man feeling robbed of a knockout victory after the fight. Will Usyk have his hand raised once again on Saturday, or will Dubois get his revenge? The previous time these men fought was in Wroclaw, Poland (the closest Usyk could get to a homecoming with his native Ukraine at war against Russia) in August 2023. The fight took place after Usyk had comprehensively beaten Anthony Joshua twice to win — and then retain — three of the four heavyweight belts, but before he fully unified the division against Tyson Fury. Although the Ukrainian emerged victorious, stopping Dubois in round nine, the fight was marred by a low blow called against the British fighter. In round five Dubois hit Usyk with a right hand, just on the belt line. Usyk went down and the referee deemed that the shot was low. Usyk took the time allowed to recover and went on to reassert himself in the fight. Dubois complained after the bout that the shot was legal and that he had been 'cheated out of victory'. Since making the move to heavyweight in 2019 Usyk has proved beyond doubt that he is the best of this generation. Back-to-back wins in fights over a previously unbeaten Fury — one of them for undisputed glory — after another two over Joshua have placed Usyk among elite company when talking about the greatest men in boxing's glamour division. With one victory over Dubois already in the books, a second triumph against the man who has earned the reputation as one of the best fighters of the next generation would be the cherry on top of Usyk's legacy. At only 27 years old, and with the improvement he has shown since losing to Usyk in 2023, the best years of Dubois' heavyweight career are most likely still ahead of him. He has always had the power, but his will has been questioned on more than one occasion; he took a knee in his first career loss to Joe Joyce in 2020 and did not get back to his feet after being knocked down by an Usyk jab in their first fight. However, after wins over Jarrell Miller and then Filip Hrgovic, he set up an all-British clash with Joshua last September for Dubois' IBF world title (vacated by Usyk after the first Fury fight). Some thought that the veteran Joshua may prove too much, but Dubois put in a career-best performance, knocking down Joshua multiple times before stopping him in round five. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. Dubois is undoubtedly a better all-round boxer than the first time he fought Usyk, but it is no secret that power will be his main advantage. You only have to look back at the Joshua fight to see the effect of a Dubois overhand right. He should throw as many thudding rights to the body as he can to try to slow Usyk down. He may also have the best jab among the modern crop of heavyweights. He used it to great effect against Joshua, establishing himself on the front foot moments into the fight, constantly disrupting his rhythm. He'll have to do the same to the tricky Usyk. The former cruiserweight has not been the more physically imposing man in any of his heavyweight bouts, but nor has that ever been his way to win a fight. Usyk's brilliance lies in his movement and cardio. He constantly moves in and out of range, throwing punches and feints, so that his opponents never have a moment to breathe. Usyk overwhelms you with volume punches and then, living up to his nickname, 'The Cat', he pounces. In the clip below, from Usyk's first fight against Joshua, you see the roaming right hand of the Ukrainian, constantly probing, and also blocking the view of the Briton so that he does not see the left hand coming. His brilliant footwork keeps him close enough to be a threat, but also far enough away from danger. This keeps Joshua on high alert, and saps energy as he tries to work Usyk out. No one has managed to yet. Tony Bellew, who fought Usyk for undisputed cruiserweight gold in 2018, spoke of how he felt that he got the better of the Ukrainian in the opening exchanges. But he then realised that he had been fighting at top gear — while Usyk had been coasting — and had nothing left in the tank. Usyk knocked Bellew out in round eight. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. 'It is the judgment of distance that Usyk has,' Bellew later said. 'This is what got me. I was absolutely exhausted after seven rounds. I have never been that tired in my entire life.' This 12-round fight for the undisputed heavyweight title will take place on Saturday, July 19 at Wembley Stadium. The undercard is set to begin at 5:30pm, while the ringwalks for the main event are scheduled for 9:50pm, just before the first bell at 10pm. The fight will stream live exclusively on DAZN in over 200 countries worldwide, priced at £24.99 in the UK.
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Give him some brains – Oleksandr Usyk questions Daniel Dubois' pre-fight antics
Oleksandr Usyk has questioned Daniel Dubois' 'brains' in the build-up to Saturday's undisputed world heavyweight bout at Wembley. Dubois cut a more relaxed figure during a drama-free open workout on Wednesday and Thursday's press conference, but previously the 27-year-old from London and his team had seemed eager to get under the skin of the WBA, WBO and WBC champion. The first flashpoint occurred at Wembley in April when Dubois pushed Usyk in the chest before a day later Don Charles, the British boxer's trainer, claimed the undefeated Ukrainian deserved an 'Oscar' for his antics during their first fight in Poland in 2023. Usyk required nearly four minutes to recover from a punch from Dubois which was deemed an illegal low blow. Talk of the contentious incident has dissipated during fight week, but only after Dubois' emotions threatened to boil over on Tuesday. The Briton screamed his own name and 'the new' in the face of an ice-cool Usyk outside Wembley. Speaking afterwards about the incident, Usyk said: 'I hate stupidity. 'I'm a faithful person. I see only the best in people, but sometimes people show their bad side and even when they're showing their bad side, I would never judge them. 'I wouldn't say anything bad about them or say, 'I do not respect you for that'. In moments like this, I just think, 'Please God, give him (Daniel) some brains, some understanding and just willpower to get better (from) where he is now'. 'I respect every boxer, every sportsman that is going to the ring, going to the ring meaning to be a fighter. 'Every opponent that I see in the ring is the fighter that came there to make himself better, to become better.' It was only 23 months ago that Dubois and Usyk shared the ring and the 38-year-old produced a masterful display before going on to prove himself the best in the blue-riband division with two points triumphs over Tyson Fury. Not long after the end of Usyk's ninth-round stoppage of Dubois, he went up to his defeated opponent and told him to 'keep going'. Fast forward to the present day and Usyk will step into the ring to face a different Dubois, who has claimed impressive wins over Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua. Yet the former undisputed world cruiserweight champion warned: 'I think that Daniel has gotten better and now he has a championship belt, but I haven't been staying in one place either. I've been growing too. 'After the fight, when Daniel lost, I said don't make a mistake and never stop and keep going.' The big question for Usyk in recent years has been how long he will continue and the answer remains for two more fights. It means Saturday is set to be his penultimate bout, but could a trilogy fight with Fury be the perfect way for the Ukrainian great to bring the curtain down on a stellar career? 'I don't know. Now my focus is only Daniel on Saturday,' Usyk said. 'No (retirement). Two (more). This and next. 'I'm not going to quit boxing forever. I'm going to be training younger boxers and giving them the experience I've gained. Maybe I'll even become the coach.'
