Richie1, Author at US Celeb

CELEB NEWS

Charlie Woods shoots career-best round to win junior golf tournament – with dad Tiger on the bag

By Richie1 December 8, 2023

A Woods was back in the winner’s circle this weekend – but not the one golf fans grew accustomed to seeing.

This time, Tiger Woods played caddie to his son Charlie as the 14-year-old shot the best round of his fledgling career to win his age group’s regional qualifier for the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championships.

After opening with a one-under 71, the youngster rattled off nine birdies to post a career-low 66 at Mission Inn Resort in Orlando, Florida and stamp his ticket to the championship finale at Koasati Pines in Coushatta, Louisiana in November.

With rivals closing in down the final stretch, Woods displayed the type of calmness under pressure that saw his father amass 15 major championships, finishing with back-to-back birdies to triumph by a single stroke.

“It’s hard to think, ‘You’re tied for the lead, you have to go shoot a low round to win this thing,’” the 14-year-old Woods told tournament organizers.

“So just take it one shot at a time, don’t think too far ahead. Just gotta keep eating.”

And naturally, being able to call on the advice of a caddie with 82 PGA Tour triumphs was a useful resource, the pair pictured together in an Instagram post from Shane Croft, the father of Woods’ tournament playing partner Chase.

“It’s great, we just stay in our own little world and take it one shot at a time,” Woods said of his partnership with his dad.

“He puts me in my place. I’ll talk about the next tee shot and he’s like, ‘No. This is the shot we’re gonna focus on. Focus up, this is what we’re gonna do.’”

It’s not the first time the duo have teamed up on the course. The 47-year-old Woods was also on bag duty at last year’s regional qualifier, held at the same venue, where a then-career-best 68 round saw his son finish tied-fourth.

A few months later in December, the pair donned matching outfits at the PNC Championship in Orlando to tie for eighth in a star-studded 20-player field made up exclusively of players to have won a major or The Players, plus their relatives.

No Tiger at the Ryder Cup

Yet the 15-time major winner’s course appearances have been few and far between since, as the long-term effects of his February 2021 car accident injuries continue to hamper his playing time.

Woods competed at The Masters only to withdraw early, then proceeded to miss the subsequent three majors in 2023, undergoing “successful” ankle surgery in April.

It left him with a scant chance of making a ninth Ryder Cup appearance at the 44th edition of the tournament in Rome on Friday. American captain Zach Johnson did not rule out selecting Woods when asked about his potential inclusion in January, but – given his limited competitive appearances – a call-up never looked on the cards.

And while he remains on the “inner corner,” offering support via text, Johnson said Woods would not be traveling to the Marco Simone Golf Club to support the team in person as they chase a first away win in 30 years.

“He’s got a lot on his plate,” Johnson told reporters Monday.

“He’s the best player of our generation. Thankfully he’s an American. We are going to utilize his knowledge and his wisdom and his candor and his passion the best we can.

“When it comes to the week of the tournament, if you’re not in on it and inside the team room, inside the ropes, shoulder-to-shoulder with these guys, it’s not fair to ask him questions.

“He can give us insights, don’t get me wrong, but at the same time, I don’t know if that’s proper and I think he would understand completely.”

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CELEB NEWS

‘Was the World to Me’: Tiger Woods Left Emotional After Charlie Woods Embarks On a New Journey

By Richie1 December 8, 2023

Tiger Woods 2023: Net Worth, Family, and Career

Tiger Woods Net Worth 2023

but it also makes him one of the very few billionaire athletes in the world. Woods undoubtedly owes his high value to his being a savvy businessman and his valuable endorsements.

Woods owes a lot of his wealth to his partnerships and sponsors. One of his most famous and valuable endorsement deals is with Nike, with whom he signed in 1996. Additionally, the golf pro is sponsored by big names like Bridgestone, Monster Energy, Rolex, and TaylorMade. The golf pro made $68 million off endorsements alone in 2022.

In a rеcеnt vidеo postеd by Notah Bеgay III JGNC on thеir Instagram account, Tigеr Woods sharеd his fееlings about spending timе with Charliе and playing golf with him. Hе also talkеd about how hе followеd his fathеr’s footstеps and how hе wants to pass on thе lеgacy to his son.

Woods has a sizable portion of his investments put into real estate. One of the most expensive of those investments is his house on Jupiter Island in Florida. In 2006 he spent a whopping $40 million on the property. But that wasn’t the end of it at all! He further went on to construct his $54 million mansion on the property.?

Woods also bought both his parent’s houses. In 2007, he spent $2.4 million to buy two plots of land in Jupiter, Florida for his mother. As per public records, in 2010, a $1.31 million home in Windermere, Florida, was listed under Tiger and Earl?s names.

Tiger Woods’ Early Life

Woods was born on December 30, 1975, in Cypress, California. Named Eldrick Tont Woods at birth, he now goes by his widely popular nickname, “Tiger,” which was given to him by his father, Earl Woods, in honor of one of his close army buddies.?

From a very young age Woods began taking a liking to the sport. He became interested in golf at the age of six months after watching his father hit golf balls into a net and imitating his swing. His skills with a club were amazing and at a very young age, he began being called a golf prodigy.?

By the time Woods had reached the age of 2, he had become quite fluid with the game and even showcased his talent by putting alongside the American comedian, Bob Hope, on the Mike Douglas Show. One year later, while regular kids were playing with blocks, Woods shot a low score of 48 across nine holes. At the age of four, Woods flaunted his skills out of a bunker in a short game against a 16-year-old and beat him by four strokes. He was featured in Golf Digest as a 5-year-old, where his abilities were lauded.

Tiger’s father Earl was his inspiration to play the sport and was also the one who taught him how to play the game. His first official coach on the other hand was Rudy Duran, who began training him at the age of four and continued to do so for six years.

In 1994, Tiger Woods attended Stanford University and graduated 2 years later with a degree in economics. He turned pro in 1996 and took his first steps to becoming the golf legend that he’s now known as.

Tiger Woods’ Family and His Kids

Tiger is the son of Earl Woods and Kultida Woods. Although born an American citizen, Woods? heritage is part African-American, owing to his father, and part Thai, owing to the fact that his mother is from Thailand. His mother is currently 79 years old, while his father sadly passed away at the age of 74 in 2006.

Woods is the only child of Earl and Kultida. But his father had three other children before he was born. Earl Jr. was Woods’ eldest half-sibling and was born in 1955. He is 20 years older than Tiger. Woods has another elder half-brother, Kevin Dale Woods, who is 18 years older than he is, and was born in 1957. His third half-sibling is his half-sister, Royce Renee Woods, who was born in 1961.

Woods himself has two children, both with his now ex-wife, Elin Nordegren. His firstborn is their daughter, Sam Alexis Woods, who was born on June 18, 2007. Charlie Axel Woods, her brother and Woods? and Elin’s second child, was born on February 8, 2009.

Tiger Woods’ Dating History

In 2001, Woods first met his then-wife-to-be Elin Nordegren, a former model. The couple dated for a while before getting engaged in November 2003. Less than a year later, in October 2004, the couple tied the knot and were married in Barbados in an intricate ceremony. A little over five years later they went through a very public and scandalous divorce.?

Woods met Rachael Uchitel in 2008. A year later, the two began seeing each other. Allegedly, Uchitel and Woods were seeing each other before his split with his wife, Elin.

Following his messy marriage, Woods started afresh with the American Alpine Olympic skier, Lindsey Vonn. The two made an attractive athlete power couple. They met in 2012 and began dating soon after. In May 2015, the pair split up due to their hectic athletic lifestyles.

Woods is currently dating Erica Herman, the former general manager of his restaurant, the Woods Jupiter. The two first made their relationship public in 2017 when she wore a player?s spouse credential at the President?s Cup. The two have been going steady ever since and have now been seeing each other for over five years.

Tiger Woods’ Awards and Achievements

Woods has one of the most incredible careers in golf’s history. Having turned pro in August 1996, he straight away began playing on the PGA Tour. Two months into his professional debut, he won his first Tour event, the Las Vegas Invitational, in October. Since then, the golf pro has gone on to win 82 times, the most any player has ever won. He shares this record with Sam Snead.

Less than a year after turning pro, Tiger Woods won his first major championship at Augusta in April 1997 at the Masters. He has gone on to win a total of 15 major championships, second only to Jack Nicklaus, who has won 18 throughout his career, a record Woods is certainly gunning for. Woods won his 15th major at the Masters in 2019.

Woods is quite certainly one of the most accomplished golfers of all time. In terms of numbers, the golf pro has to date got his hands on 5 Masters titles, 3 US Open titles, 4 PGA Championship titles, and 3 Open Championships.

The PGA Tour star also holds the record for the most amount of time spent as World No. 1, at 683 weeks (just over 13 years). Through a strong resolve, tons of training, and rigorous hard work, the golf pro had earned the legend tag for himself.

Tiger Woods Documentary

All the avid Woods fans eager to find out more about the golfer will be pleased to know that the golf legend has a documentary. ?Tiger?, an HBO sports-biography documentary, aired in 2021. It focuses on his steady rise and abrupt drop, and then his comeback to the sport.

The documentary also explores Woods’ relationship with his father and the effect his divorce had on his career. Fans can watch the biography, which is split into two episodes, on HBO Max.

Tiger Woods? Car Accidents

Woods has suffered a dark fate when it comes to accidents. He has been involved in three separate car accidents, each life-threatening. The first came in 2009 when the golf pro lost control of his SUV and crashed it into a fire hydrant, soon after pulling out of the driveway of his Florida mansion. He was knocked out and lost consciousness for nearly 6 minutes. His injuries from the accident had been described as “serious.”

Eight years later, in 2017, the golf legend was arrested in Florida for DUI. The police had found him passed out behind the wheel of his Mercedes-Benz. There seemed to have been a minor accident before the cops found him.

In February 2021, Woods was yet again involved in a car accident. Due to a speed crash, his car had flown off the road. He was the only party involved in the accident. The golf pro suffered multiple injuries to his right leg and ankle and sustained injuries to his back also. He went through multiple surgeries for his leg injuries and has not yet fully recovered from them. Yet the PGA Tour Star found the resolve to compete in major championships in 2022.?

The Tiger Woods Foundation, Charity Work, and Philanthropy

Tiger and his father, Earl, started the TGR Foundation back in 1996. It first set out with the goal of helping children play the sport. But 27 years later, the foundation now aims to educate children on all fronts. They offer college and career programs to students and have, to date, helped turn around more than 2 million students’ lives. They further have one of the highest graduation rates among scholarship programs in the country, at 98%.

The Woods Foundation additionally hosts charity events and also sponsors golf events on the PGA Tour to raise money for various charitable ventures. The most popular tournaments among them are the Genesis Invitational and the Hero World Challenge.

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BOXING

Floyd Mayweather buys a McLaren to make everybody envious: I’m sorry, I just had to sting you guys

By Richie1 December 8, 2023

Floyd Mayweather has once again indulged himself with wheels by buying what he calls “one of my toys”. The former American boxer, who is used to show us from time to time his huge collection of cars (including Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Maybach…) wanted to share on social networks his new McLaren 750 S Spider.

It is a car that breaks with what he usually accumulates in his garage.

Reaches 332 km/h

What does not change is that it is a supercar. The McLaren has a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine anchored to the rear of a carbon fiber monocoque structure.

The engine delivers 750 hp and 800 Nm of torque to the rear wheels, thanks to which it takes only 2.8 seconds to go from 0 to 100 and reaches a top speed of 332 km/h.

But why does he show it off? On occasions he has publicly stated that he shows his cars off to make his ‘haters’ envious, and on this occasion he has admitted that “I’m sorry, but I had to sting you all with this killer bee”.

Neither black nor white

More than just to tease (we want to assume), this multimillionaire who always appears spending huge amounts of money on clothes, jewelry and watches has shown it because he owns a huge amount of white or black cars.

But he has never (except once when he showed his first car, which was also yellow) been seen driving a car of another color. Mayweather acknowledges that he owns a couple of cars in these “crazy colors,” as he calls them.

In any case, the madness is the price of the car, and it is more than worth it: about 350,000 dollars.

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BOXING

Floyd Mayweather’s 10 Most Controversial Boxing Victories

By Richie1 December 8, 2023

Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather is one of the most famous athletes to step into the boxing ring. Holding a 50-0 professional record and wins over names such as Manny Pacquiao, his place in history is secure. Since his 2017 retirement, Mayweather has consistently been labeled one of the greatest of all time, and for good reason.

However, that doesn’t mean his historic career didn’t happen without controversy. He had a lot of it. Across Mayweather’s 50 wins in his professional career, many of those bouts were contentious. These ten cut the most controversial victories, but some are far more problematic than others.

10.Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor

Some Were Unhappy With The Stoppage In This Clash

While some have likely forgotten, there was controversy in Floyd Mayweather’s 2017 win over Conor McGregor. As some might recall, ‘The Notorious’ had some early success but wound up losing by tenth-round stoppage in this surreal matchup.

Some, including McGregor, believed that the referee’s stoppage was too early, as he hadn’t been dropped in the bout. Furthermore, some aimed at the judges on this night as well. While McGregor had early success in the eyes of many, the judges firmly had Mayweather leading.

9.Floyd Mayweather vs. Ricky Hatton

As It Turns Out, Styles Make Fights

Floyd Mayweather’s 2007 clash with Ricky Hatton was a clash of styles. Ultimately, ‘The Hitman’ was unable to get inside, and wound up suffering a tenth-round stoppage. However, there was some controversy in this fight.

Referee Joe Cortez came under fire in this one, for being biased towards Mayweather. Hatton himself agreed and drew reference to being deducted points for hitting his opponent behind the head, despite ‘Money’ turning his back to him.

8.Floyd Mayweather vs. Marcos Maidana II

The Rematch Between These Two Was Again Close

Floyd Mayweather’s second bout with Marcos Maidana resembled the first fight quite a bit. However, this time around, ‘Money’ wound up scoring a more dominant and decisive victory, winning by unanimous decision.

While the rematch with ‘El Chino’ wasn’t as close as their first bout, some still believed that Maidana deserved the nod here. Although, it wasn’t many.

7.Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao

‘The Fight of The Century’ Was Disappointing

Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao’s 2015 clash is still the biggest boxing match of all time. Still, ‘Money’ emerged with a win by unanimous decision, in a bout that didn’t have a whole lot of action.

Despite the lackluster bout, some did believe that ‘PacMan’ deserved the nod here. Pacquiao himself has stated repeatedly since 2015 that he deserved the win.

6.Floyd Mayweather vs. Victor Ortiz

Cheap Shot or Justified?

Floyd Mayweather’s 2011 knockout win over Victor Ortiz is still one of the most controversial victories on his resume. That night ‘Money’ scored a fourth-round knockout win after being headbutted moments prior.

While nobody doubts that Mayweather deserved the win, many still labeled the shot a cheap one. While it was a legal punch, it happened moments after a break in the action, and Ortiz seemingly didn’t know the fight was ongoing.

5.Floyd Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez

This One Isn’t Controversial Because of Mayweather.

Floyd Mayweather’s 2013 bout with Canelo Alvarez was titled ‘The One’. While many hoped to see the young Mexican superstar upset ‘Money’, he wound up suffering a majority decision defeat. Unlike other entries, this fight isn’t controversial because of Mayweather.

4.Floyd Mayweather vs. Oscar De La Hoya

‘Golden Boy’ Is The Only Man To Take A Scorecard From Mayweather

Oscar De La Hoya’s 2007 clash with Floyd Mayweather was somewhat of a passing of the torch. Not really in terms of fight styles, but in terms of pay-per-view draws. This bout was massive, and ‘Golden Boy’ set a then-record for highest purse in boxing history with $52 million.

Ultimately, Mayweather emerged with a split-decision win here, but many De La Hoya fans felt that he deserved the nod. For what it’s worth, the Mexican boxer is still the only man to take a scorecard from ‘Money’.

3.Floyd Mayweather vs. Jose Luis Castillo II

‘El Terrible’ Is Still One Of Mayweather’s Toughest Fights

In December 2002, Floyd Mayweather and Jose Luis Castillo had a high-profile rematch for lightweight gold. The fight took less than a year after their first bout, and this one was again extremely close.

Much like the first fight, Mayweather used his speed, and defensive prowess, while Castillo tried to use his size to his advantage. Ultimately, ‘Pretty Boy’ emerged with a unanimous decision win. Although, some believed that Castillo deserved the win, as he landed the bigger, and more impactful shots.

2.Floyd Mayweather vs. Marcos Maidana

‘El Chino’ Nearly Upset ‘Money’ in May 2014

While some believed Marcos Maidana deserved the nod in his rematch with Floyd Mayweather, their first bout was much more controversial. ‘El Chino’ really caught the legend by surprise with his physicality in their first fight.

Maidana didn’t treat this like a boxing match, he treated it like a fight. While some believed he deserved the nod here, ‘Money’ emerged with the win by majority decision.

1.Floyd Mayweather vs. Jose Luis Castillo

This Is The Most Controversial Win Of Mayweather’s CareerWhile Floyd Mayweather has a lot of close fights, his first fight with Jose Luis Castillo is seen as the closest. ‘El Terrible’ was aggressive, and much like Maidana, tried to bend the rules quite a bit. To his credit, it worked quite well.

However, Mayweather still emerged with a unanimous decision win. Over 20 years on from this night, fans still debate if Castillo deserved the victory over the legend.

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BOXING

Francis Ngannou open to Deontay Wilder, Anthony Joshua fights in boxing or mixed rules: ‘I’m the one that can go everywhere’

By Richie1 December 8, 2023

Francis Ngannou still wants the biggest challenges available to him, but he understands when it comes to potential opponents like Deontay Wilder or Anthony Joshua that he will either have to face them in boxing or concede to mixed rules to make it a fair fight.

While he prefers a rematch with heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury more than anything else, Ngannou has other options available to him after nearly pulling off the upset of the century in his professional boxing debut. Despite losing a split decision to Fury in October, Ngannou suddenly became an attractive opponent for a lot of top-ranked boxers including Joshua, who promised to knock out the former UFC champ if they ever meet.

“Even Tyson Fury said the same thing and Tyson Fury is better than Anthony Joshua,” Ngannou said in response while speaking on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast. “What do I care about what people say?

“I’ve been in this game for so long. I’ve seen so much. I’ve heard so much what people intend to do. There’s a difference between wanting to do and be able to do.”

If Joshua wants to fight, Ngannou has no problem accepting that challenge, although he expects that it’d have to be in a boxing match because the 2012 Olympic gold medalist wouldn’t have a hope if they actually competed against one another in MMA.

Ngannou says that’s ultimately what separates him from the best boxers in the world — he can set foot in their ring and give them everything they can handle, but there’s no chance anyone from boxing could actually have a realistic chance against him in MMA.

“Anything that he wants. Ring or octagon,” Ngannou said of Joshua. “The good thing is I’m the one that can go everywhere comfortably. My comfort zone will be the octagon, but I’m going to the ring and putting them in a bad spot in the ring.

“Because I have my territory [in MMA] where they cannot mess with me. If they come, they will need something like some favor, like, ‘I’ll give you this, we’ll take kicks out.’ I have to give him something. But when we step in the ring, they don’t give me anything and I still get them in trouble.”

The same goes for Wilder, although Ngannou has more faith in him than Joshua when it comes to the potential to give somebody trouble in MMA.

Wilder, who faces Joseph Parker on the same card as Joshua in December, has shown interest in potentially crossing over to MMA previously. PFL co-founder Donn Davis even teased Wilder vs. Ngannou as a mixed-rules fight that could possibly happen in 2024.

“Let’s say he’s not fighting me, he’s fighting somebody else,” Ngannou said of Wilder in MMA. “I look at the profile of that fighter, I put my money on Deontay. Basically, even just as a boxer, basically now that he’s really intent on doing MMA and [he’s] training, I’d put money on him.

“Because he just needs to cut somebody to land a punch. It could also be a mixed rules [fight]. We were thinking of mixed rules. Because honestly it’s going to be too hard for him if it’s not mixed rules.”

Ngannou believes Wilder is a realistic opponent in boxing or MMA, but he’s still awaiting word on who will end up as his next opponent.

“Even before this Tyson fight, we were talking with [Deontay Wilder],” Ngannou said. “He’s also willing to fight me in MMA. For real.”

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BOXING

‘Would’ve been much better if we had fought for it’: Bozy Ennis talks about son being elevated to full IBF champion.

By Richie1 December 8, 2023

Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis was promoted to IBF champion after Terence Crawford was stripped, but his father/trainer says that’s not the way they wanted to become champion.

Fight Hub TV just caught up with trainer Bozy Enniss to talk about a number of topics, including the fairly recent news of Terence Crawford being stripped of his IBF title, with his son being promoted to full titleholder. Ennis says he and his son would’ve preferred to have earned the title in the ring, but have long waited for their shot at the belt and weren’t going to just walk away. Check out some of what he had to say below.

Bozy Ennis on how he and Jaron feel about being promoted from interim to full IBF champion

“Well, one thing, it don’t make us feel that good because we wanted to fight for the title. We didn’t want to, you know, have to be handed the title. But we didn’t want the title to get away from us either because we’ve been trying to fight for that title for two years when Spence had it.

“(Spence) didn’t take the fight with Boots, so him and Crawford fought and we figured that Crawford would fight us because he made a statement to Spence that he always defend his mandatories. And so Boots was his mandatory but we didn’t get a chance to fight him. It would’ve been much better if we had fought for it.”

On if he feels Crawford was stripped to quickly after winning the IBF title

“Not really because, remember, we was after the belt for a long time, two years. They should have more sympathy for us than him, ‘cause we been chasing the belt for two years. But I understand where Crawford’s coming from. I guess he don’t want to take the fight with Boots because it’s high risk, low reward. And then I think he trying to get some bigger fights and then I think he just going off and wind up being a trainer or just enjoy his life.”

On who they’re looking to fight next now that they’ve got a world title

“Well, you know Boots got the belt now but you don’t hear nobody calling him out…I think Barrios said he’ll take the fight but we’re waiting on Stanionis, we’re waiting on Thurman, all the top guys in the top 5, whatever.”

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CELEB NEWS

Simone Biles’ niece, Baby Ronni, faces health scare with blood-vomiting episode

By Richie1 December 8, 2023

The Biles family, known for their triumphs and joyful celebrations, encountered a concerning moment as Baby Ronni Louise Biles, Simone Biles’ beloved niece, recently experienced a harrowing health scare.

The infant, who became the apple of Simone’s eye since her arrival a year ago, necessitated urgent medical attention when she threw up blood.

Sammi Biles, Ronni’s mother and Simone’s sister-in-law, shared the alarming incident on Instagram. Alongside a photo of a T-shirt stained with blood marks, Sammi recounted the frightening ordeal, revealing that Ronni had run a low-grade fever before the concerning episode.

Expressing gratitude for Ronni’s well-being after seeking medical help, Sammi highlighted the terrifying moments that no parent is prepared for.

The family knows how to overcome the setbacks

The Biles family celebrated Ronni’s birth on November 25, 2022, and Simone embraced her role as aunt with joy, expressing her eagerness to spoil her niece.

In a July Q&A session on Instagram, Simone and her husband Jonathan Owens hinted at their plans for a family, playfully disagreeing on the ideal number of children.

While Simone has been conquering the world of gymnastics, her personal life has faced recent challenges. Two weeks ago, it was revealed that Baby Ronni tested positive for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adding to a series of health concerns within the family.

Ron Biles II, Ronni’s father, underwent a second hip surgery due to avascular necrosis, while Simone was engrossed in World Championship pursuits.

Hope keeps the Biles up

Despite the challenges, Sammi expressed hope for Ronni’s upcoming first birthday, stating, “I just hope & pray Ronni has a safe + simple yet VERY special 1st birthday in November. She deserves it.”

The family, known for their resilience, now awaits further updates on Baby Ronni’s health while Simone deals with additional struggles on the home front, managing the health of her fur-babies.

In the midst of victories and struggles, Simone Biles continues to navigate the complexities of both her professional and personal life with unwavering determination.

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BOXING

Tyson Fury on Oleksandr Usyk: There’s Only Me Who Stands in His Way of Total Domination

By Richie1 December 7, 2023

Heavyweight titlist Tyson Fury sees himself as the last man standing against the encroachment of Oleksander Usyk.

Fury, the WBC beltholder from England, is scheduled to fight for the undisputed championship against WBO, WBA, IBF unified champion Usyk of Ukraine on Feb. 17 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The fight, which has gone through a year of belabored and unsuccessful negotiations, finally came together when Turki Alalshikh of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority got involved. The outfit was behind Fury’s crossover bout with Francis Ngannou last month and is responsible for the upcoming Dec. 23 card featuring Anthony Joshua against Otto Wallin and Deontay Wilder against Joseph Parker.

In a recent interview, Fury was not particularly eager to dwell on his tougher-than-expected fight with Ngannou, in which the Cameroonian scored a shocking knockdown in the third round.

“What did you expect me to do? Stay down?” Fury told Sky Sports. “No matter what life chucks at you, always gotta keep moving forward, getting up and moving forward. That’s what you gotta do.”

“I don’t reflect, it’s in the past,” Fury added. “That’s it. I’m happy. Got paid, got laid, onto the next one.

Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) characterized his fight with Usyk as an existential battle for the European continent.

“There’s only me who stands in the way of total domination of Europe. He’s beaten all the British guys, [Derek] Chisora, [Anthony] Joshua, [Daniel] Dubois,” Fury said. “There’s only me.

“They gotta pull out the long-range guns, and we’ll see. If he can beat me, which I know he can’t, there’ll be nothing standing in his way of total domination.”

The southpaw Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs) last fought in August, stopping Dubois in nine rounds. There was a controversial moment in the fifth round when Dubois landed a punch that caused Usyk to fall to the canvas. The punch was ruled a low blow and led to an unsuccessful appeal by Dubois’ promoter.

Sean Nam is the author of Murder on Federal Street: Tyrone Everett, the Black Mafia, and the Last Golden Age of Philadelphia Boxing.

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BOXING

Terence Crawford disinterested in ’email champion’ Jaron Ennis

By Richie1 December 7, 2023

Terence Crawford facing Jaron Ennis in an undisputed welterweight title clash remains a better attraction than an Errol Spence Jr. rematch.

Crawford clearly got the number of Spence, judging by their first meeting over the summer. A second fight doesn’t hold much weight or make sense for a lot of people in the sport.

However, Crawford taking on the number one contender in the division and the man plenty see as the next welterweight star would be a far smarter choice for ‘Bud.’

Crawford clearly got the number of Spence, judging by their first meeting over the summer. A second fight doesn’t hold much weight or make sense for a lot of people in the sport.

However, Crawford taking on the number one contender in the division and the man plenty see as the next welterweight star would be a far smarter choice for ‘Bud.’

He also talked about facing Spence again.

“It’s not ideal how he [Ennis] would want to win [the IBF title]. I know he is disappointed he couldn’t win it from a champion,” Crawford told Fight Hub TV.

“If I were him, I would tell them [the IBF] I want to fight for it. I would rather fight the number three guy if I couldn’t get the other guy [me]. But it just seems like everybody is cool with being email champions.

“Just to be called a world champion, you got three belts, two interim belts, and now they are going to send him another belt. He is going to have three of the same belts.

“I don’t know if he waited a long time. I can’t knock him because I was in that position once before, waiting for my time trying to fight Spence.

“But I understand his frustration about getting these big opportunities and getting these guys in the ring with me. It’s part of the game.”

Future star

Asked if Boots will be his successor at the top of the welterweight division one day, Crawford replied: “Yeah, in the future definitely when Terence Crawford leaves the division.

“Right now, Terence Crawford is the ultimate of all ultimate in the division. I am the numero uno.”

On Spence invoking the rematch clause to face him again, Crawford said: It tells the championship mentality that he lost a grueling fight that night.

“He feels that it wasn’t his night. He wants to prove to the world that he can defeat me in the rematch, so I take my hat off to him. There was always respect from the jump.”

Concluding with a social media rant, the unified three-belt ruler stated: “I see a lot of Spence fans mad at me and jumping on Boots’ sack now! I love it.

“This is the same I got and heard for five years. I was scared of this and that. It’s okay if everyone accepts it.

“I’m great, and you’re all mad about it. Everyone I know is loving Boots right now, and that’s good. I’m happy for the young guy.

“But chill on the I’m ducking him [Ennis] part. Boots had two opportunities to fight me and chose a different route. So chill, let the kid make his mark in the sport.”

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CELEB NEWS

How US Open Winner Coco Gauff Trumped Simone Biles, Iga Swiatek, Earned $22+ Million To Become Highest Paid Female Athlete

By Richie1 December 7, 2023

Coco Gauff emerged as the highest-earning female athlete in 2023, raking in $22.7 million. She trumped tennis stars like Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka and other athletes like Simone Biles and Eileen Gu to get the coveted position. The American had the best season of her career and her on-court and off-court earnings prove it.

Gauff’s $22 million+ fortune includes her prize money and endorsement earnings. It also accounts for any bonuses, royalties, and investment returns, before taxes. She made $6.7 million on the court while her brand deals got her $16 million, as per Sportico. Only third-placed Gu, with $20 million in endorsements, made more off the field than the 19-year-old.

In 2023, Gauff won her maiden WTA 500, WTA 1000, and Grand Slam titles. Not only did this propel her to a career-best World No.3, but it also resulted in a burgeoning prize purse. Her US Open triumph made her $3 million richer, while she minted an additional million in the last two tournaments of the season. Overall, she took home $6,669,622 as prize money this year, over half of her total career prize winnings (WTA).

Ever since her debut in 2018, Gauff has been a target for marketers. American tennis has long been searching for a successor to Serena Williams, not just in terms of on-court achievements, but also as a globally marketable superstar. Even at 15, Gauff had contracts with equipment sponsor Head, apparel sponsor New Balance and Italian pasta giant Barilla. All those deals still stand today, although with much bigger numbers.

As her prowess grew on the court over the years, Gauff became more attractive for endorsements and brand deals. Big-name companies like Bose, UPS, accounting firm Baker Tilly, Microsoft, and Rolex have agreements with her. The teenager’s value received an immense boost after she won the US Open. She recently also did promotional campaigns for Ray-Ban and The Marvels movie.

Fans react to Coco Gauff being the highest-earning female athlete in 2023

Coco Gauff capped off a great season with the crown of the highest-earning female athlete of 2023. Fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to the news and hailed her. Congratulations flew in for the teenager from all directions. One user even called her the face of the WTA.

Some said being from the United States worked in Gauff’s favour as it got her more brand exposure. A fan also pointed out Emma Raducanu being high up the list despite barely playing, claiming she got endorsements because of her beauty.

Gauff’s momentum will be challenged by Naomi Osaka, who will be making a comeback soon at the start of 2024. Names like Swiatek will also be vying for the top spot. Not to forget, 2024 is an Olympic year and athletes from Olympic sports will make a splash, on and off the field.

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