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Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions announced this past May that Claressa Shields had been banned from its events after her altercation with the MVP-promoted Alycia Baumgardner, in which Shields was alleged to have struck Baumgardner in the face.Although separated by several weight classes, pound-for-pound stars Shields and Baumgardner have repeatedly clashed in recent years and have even discussed a potential fight. Their bad blood doesn't appear to be dying down anytime soon and neither does the tension between Shields and women's boxing's leading promoter."I don't care [about MVP],"Shields, womens boxings undisputed heavyweight champion, said bluntly on Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show. "Wynn Records [Shields co-promoter] over here. MVP is the [opponent] of me. I'm not in support of them. I support the girls [with MVP], but I don't care about MVP, and they know that.""I'm not banned from boxing," Shields added in response to MVP's banning. "I can go to any boxing event I want to go to. Either way [that] goes, [MVP has] always been against the Claressa Shields brand and the Claressa Shields story, and has always tried to discredit me. And that's fine, but I am No. 1 in women's boxing pound-for-pound No. 1 making a whole lot of money, undefeated."Shields became one of boxing's most sought-after free agents this past year after her deal with longtime promoter Salita Promotions expired. Shields had talks with multiple entities, including Eddie Hearn's Matchroom and her adversary, Paul's MVP, but ultimately agreed to a two-year deal with Salita and Wynn Records worth $8 million."Who doesn't want to sign the GWOAT [Greatest Woman Of All Time]?" Shields asked rhetorically of MVP's approach. "The brand stands for itself. They can say what they want to say, 'Oh, she's not likable. We this, we that.' [The] Claressa Shields brand is strong."Everybody wants to sign Claressa Shields, so of course [they made me an offer]. I mean, that's a smart business move [from MVP]. People go in business with folks they don't like all the time. It's not nothing new."Signing with MVP would've made it easier to make some of the more enticing matchups for Shields, including a fight with fellow Michigan resident Baumgardner, which would be a major event. After all, they are both pound-for-pound fighters, the two biggest U.S. stars in women's boxing, and there's certainly no love lost between the pair. Claressa Shields has been banned from all MVP events after slapping Alycia Baumgardner at the Ronda Rousey fight Alycia says shes also taking legal action pic.twitter.com/yC4kwCi0je Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) May 19, 2026Shields, however, has no interest in talking about a matchup with the super featherweight champion. "I don't know who that is," Shields said of her rival. " I just hate when girls run their mouth, that's it. ... If a girl doesn't weigh 154 [pounds] or above, I don't think that nobody who does interviews with me should ask me about girls who are at lower weight classes who are not willing to come to at least 154 for a fight. "So that's my way of just avoiding that whole conversation and narrative. ... I'm not about to keep talking about somebody who only fought one weight class and doesn't take the best challenges. That doesn't make sense to keep doing anymore."The public account of Shields' altercation with Baumgardner in May was hardly favorable to Shields. MVP described her alleged behavior as "intolerable," claiming that Shields became physical outside of the ring, which "reflects poorly" on women's sports. Baumgardner said Shields' alleged assault was unprovoked and "entirely consistent with the individual involved." She also said she was exploring legal options.Shields bristled at what she viewed as an attempt to assign her sole responsibility for the confrontation."People paint out these narratives, and then they put out all this first of all, the fake and the false press release about the whole ban thing," Shields began. " It was like, I just walked up and this happened. It's like, no, tell the truth. They're liars over there. They're liars. And they do that because my brand is so strong. "Jake Paul said, 'Yeah, she's a great fighter, but no one likes her.' How can you say that no one likes me and I got 1.8 million followers? 1.8 million people like me, and that's on Instagram; 215,000 people like me on YouTube, and 500,000-600,000 like me on Facebook. You talk all this stuff [but] look, you don't like me. Keep that s*** between you. "Don't try and recruit all your people who support you or like you and be like, 'Hey, you guys, we all don't want to like this one girl right here. Let's talk about her. Let's make her look bad. Let's talk about how she trash talks and how she's mean and how yeah, she's a great fighter, but she did this.' "Like they lied and said that I celebrated Shadasia [Green] having a brain bleed. No, I celebrated Lani Daniels whooping Shadasia's ass without us even knowing it was a brain bleed in play that's what I celebrated. I didn't celebrate that she could never box again because of her brain bleed, but they wanted to make it seem like that when that's not even the case. I like Shadasia."MVP and Baumgardner have not been the only targets for Shields. Shes reserved some of her sharpest criticism for former UFC, Bellator and PFL champion Cris Cyborg.Claressa Shields (left) is one of the top fighters in women's boxing.Richard Pelham via Getty Images"What a bum," Shields said of Cyborg. "She's offering me $2 million for a fight? She can't even pay herself $2 million [and she's] talking about [how] she's offering me $2 million. Cris Cyborg can't box. "I don't know why she's on this, 'I want to fight against Claressa Shields,' but when I made you the offer to fight at '54 [pounds], you were like, 'Come down to '47 [pounds] and wear eight-ounce gloves and all this other bull crap.'"Shields then revisited a previous sparring session between the two, claiming they had agreed to six rounds but Cyborg stopped after just four."I beat the s*** out of her," Shields said. "Like literally, and I wasn't even trying. I didn't have a mouthpiece or nothing. ... I was coming down there to show her some boxing stuff, but she was like, 'You want to get in the ring and spar?' I said, 'I spar with anybody. How many rounds?' And they said six. I didn't even have a coach or nothing, and I kicked her ass. And then she quit at four rounds."Shields alleged that Cyborg's team later asked for the footage to be edited to make the session appear more competitive."She's like a deer in the headlights the fourth round," Shields continued. "She was damn near begging me not to knock her out, not to stop her. We supposed to go six rounds, we went four.'"Girl, I can fight you with one hand and beat the dogs*** out of you."

The puzzle is slowly starting to come together.The PGA Tour announced Wednesday that The Sentry, which moved its sponsorship to the event at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California, starting in 2027, will be a PGA Tour Championship Series event beginning in 2028, joining the Travelers Championship and the Sompo Championship as events confirmed to be on the Tour's new elevated series, which is slated to begin in 2028.Torrey Pines is one of golfs most iconic venues, and were excited to deepen our connection with San Diego and build on the incredible tradition of championship golf at Torrey Pines by welcoming the worlds best players to compete in the PGA Tour Championship Series, said Pete McPartland, chairman and CEO of Sentry Insurance. The Sentry is also about creating lasting benefits for the local community, celebrating everything that makes this region unique, and strengthening our commitment to making a difference in the communities we serve.The full Tour schedule for 2028, when the Championship Series debuts, will be announced at a later date, the Tour said in a release, but the schedule is expected to have 23 or 24 events. That includes the five major championships, the Players and the postseason.Next year's Sentry is set for Wednesday, Jan. 27 to Saturday, Jan. 30. This year will be the 60th the Tour has an event at Torrey Pines, one of the most famous municipal courses in the country.Justin Rose won the final edition of the Farmers Insurance Open.Cameron Jourdanis an assistant editor of Golfweek, covering college and amateur golf, the PGA Tour and plenty more. Follow Cameron on X/Twitter (@Cam_Jourdan) or Instagram (@GolfweekJourdan).This article originally appeared on Golfweek: The Sentry becomes latest tournament to earn PGA Tour Championship Series status for 2028

Long before LeBron James bid farewell to the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason, the transition of power within the franchise began. Luka Doni, whom the Lakers famously traded for in February 2025, became their crown jewel.But James remained at the heart of JJ Redicks squad that season and this past season. James and Doni co-existed remarkably well, each respecting the others game while forming an entertaining three-headed attack with Austin Reaves.Even though the Lakers have been planning their future around Doni for a good bit of time now, it wasnt until James officially closed the door on his chapter in L.A. that Doni stood alone in the spotlight. Hes the undisputed face of the franchise, and hes reportedly embracing a leadership role thats seemingly heightened in the absence of James, a four-time NBA champion and four-time league MVP. In fact, according to ESPNs Dave McMenamin, Doni is hosting the entire Lakers roster in Slovenia for a four-day minicamp in August. The trip will feature workouts, golf, bonding and touring Ljubljana, the capital city, McMenamin reported on Wednesday.Luka Doncic is hosting the entire Los Angeles Lakers roster in Slovenia for a four-day minicamp in August, a source close to the Lakers told ESPN. The itinerary will include workouts, golf and some Ljubljana tourism and bonding ahead of training camp. Dave McMenamin (@mcten) July 29, 2026Doni, a six-time All-NBA first teamer, is preparing for a pivotal season in his already prolific career. He played his way into the MVP conversation last season before a Grade 2 left hamstring strain effectively ended his campaign prematurely. He experienced that setback in early April and didnt make it back for the Lakers postseason run, which came to a screeching halt against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals.When he was healthy, he sparkled. No one in the league averaged more points (33.5) than Doni during the 2025-26 season.Doni is reportedly excited about L.A. bringing back Reaves and acquiring former Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler. Retaining Reaves and securing a top-tier rim-protecting center were both on Donis offseason wish list, according to a July report from The Athletic's Dan Woike.Doni will reportedly get a chance to connect with Kessler and the Lakers other newcomers, in addition to strengthening his relationships with the teams returners, in his home country next month ahead of training camp.

Tennessee said Wednesday that linebacker Arion Carter has been suspended for the first two games of the 2026 season by the NCAA after he repaid an agent for a flight he took during the NFL's pre-draft process.Carter explored entering the 2026 NFL Draft before deciding to return for his senior season. As he was looking at entering the draft, an agent paid for a $427 plane ticket. After Carter suffered an injury while working out before the draft, he returned to school and paid for the flight.However, the NCAA deemed the initial payment of that ticket by the agent to be a Level III violation because players and their families are not allowed to take material benefits from agents, including transportation. And a spokesperson for the school told the Knoxville News Sentinel that Carter had actually been suspended for three games before it was reduced down to two."We disagree with the NCAA's ruling on punishing Arion with a multi-game suspension this fall," Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said in a statement. Arion made the right decision for his future health and well-being. He will proudly graduate from Tennessee in public health with Dean's List honors in August. Our team stands behind AC and his family, and we can't wait to be on the field with him during training camp this week."Carter was Tennessee's third-leading tackler in 2025 despite missing three games because of a foot injury that flared up as he was looking to turn pro. He had 76 stops and six tackles for loss across 10 games. He'll miss the team's Week 1 game against Furman and its Week 2 matchup vs. Georgia Tech. The suspension shows how the NCAA's rules are still incredibly murky in the NIL era and that its punishments are out of whack too. Thousands of players have agents or people acting as agents to represent them in revenue sharing and endorsement agreements in accordance with NCAA rules. Yet a flight worth less than $500 that was paid back in full is considered so off-limits because it was paid for by an NFL agent that it's initially punishable by a suspension that covers 25% of the regular season.It's another sign that the NCAA needs to modernize and standardize its rules regarding third-party agents. There's no reason why a player can receive a travel benefit from an agent negotiating an NIL deal but not one who is trying to help him improve his professional prospects.

Playing in the Big Ten Conference isnt easy. In fact, the Big Ten has been at the top of the college football landscape in each of the last three seasons. With a league full of talent, if you have a difficult schedule or lack roster talent at important positions, you can be in store for disappointment. These four teams could fall short of expectations in 2026. MORE: 4 Big Ten football teams primed for major turnarounds in 2026Indiana, 16-0 in 2025Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti against the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesThis is pretty simple, really. After going undefeated and winning the national title, Indiana can only go down. The chances of the Hoosiers repeating their 2025 dominance are thin at best. Indianas strength of schedule isnt all that bad. Ranked 33rd overall, per ESPN, the Hoosiers are right in the middle of the Big Ten. But in a four-week stretch, the Hoosiers will have games against both Ohio State and USC at home, with an away game at Michigan. That is a brutal stretch for a team that is replacing a lot of offensive talent. Curt Cignetti has proven he knows how to win in the Big Ten, and a path to the College Football Playoff is certainly on the table, but a lot will need to go right for IU to have the same success as last season. Iowa, 9-4 in 2025Iowa has one of the easier schedules in the Big Ten, but the Hawkeyes are set for major regression in the area that matters most: at QB. Replacing Mark Gronowski isnt going to be easy for Kirk Ferentz, and he is going to replace the veteran with inexperience. In typical Iowa fashion, the Hawkeyes are set to have a quarterback battle between two players who have minimal experience at the college football level. Also in typical Iowa fashion, its supposed to have another solid defense with a good rushing attack. But if you dont have even adequate quarterback play, youre never going to survive in the Big Ten. And until the Hawkeyes can prove they know anything about developing a quarterback, its hard to believe they win nine or more games. Illinois, 9-4 in 2025A season ago, Illinois had one of the more favorable schedules in the league, and even with veteran quarterback Luke Altmyer, the Illini couldnt get over the hill. Entering 2026, Illinois has yet another favorable schedule. The Illini do play both Ohio State and Oregon, but miss teams like Michigan, Indiana, and Penn State. But Illinois is also without key players. Bret Bielema went out and landed East Carolina gunslinger Katin Houser to run his offense, but Houser has already played in the Big Ten once, and that didnt go as planned. On top of entering 2026 with a new signal caller, Illinois has a new defense. Former Montana head coach Bobby Hauck takes over at defensive coordinator and only eight players return on the defense. With so many variables, its hard to believe the Illini wont take a small step back. Ohio State, 12-2 in 2025Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) smiles as he walks off the field following the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Nov. 29, 2025. Ohio State won 27-9.Expectation is a relative term and for a team like Ohio State, it always expects national championships. And the Buckeyes are more than capable of going undefeated and winning it all this year. Ohio State is full of riches and talent, but its also easy to look at the schedule and understand its going to be challenging.The Buckeyes have the No. 8 strength of schedule in the nation and the hardest in the Big Ten. Ohio State will go to Texas in Week 2 with games against Indiana, USC, Oregon, and Michigan on the docket. A season ago, the Buckeyes went undefeated in Big Ten play, but thats going to be more difficult to do in 2026. Julian Sayin is back under center and he has playmakers around him, including star Jeremiah Smith. Ohio State will likely be back in the College Football Playoff this season, but Buckeye fans will have to lower expectations in the regular season.

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The Cincinnati Bengals have a major injury concern with edge rusher Shemar Stewart just one practice into training camp.While the team was taking part in an 11-on-11 session, Stewart suffered an apparent left knee. Trainers worked on it briefly, but Stewart wasnt able to put weight on it after and was eventually carted off the field and didnt return.During first 11 on 11 session, Shemar Stewart, the Bengals 2025 first-round pick, goes down and hobbles off. Was favoring his left knee, The Athletics Paul Dehner Jr. revealed. He went down behind the drill, worked on and eventually tried to put pressure on it and couldnt. He was just carted off.The extent of Stewarts injury isnt known, but based on video of the play, it doesnt look good, as the 2025 first-round picks leg bent awkwardly on the play.It looks like a hyperextension and we can only hope Stewarts injury doesnt turn out to be the worst-case scenario.Impact of Shemar Stewarts injuryCincinnati Bengals defensive end Shemar Stewart (97) sits between drives in the first quarter of the NFL Week 7 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025.After a quiet rookie season that saw him play in just five games and tally zero sacks in 2025, the Bengals were hoping Stewart would take a second-year leap.Stewarts contribution is especially important because the Bengals desperately need to improve their defense if they want to make some noise in 2026.Cincinnatis pass-rush was especially bad last season, with the Bengals tallying the seventh-fewest sacks in the NFL.If Stewart is out for an extended period of time, it would amount to a big blow to a defense that already has plenty of question marks.

ROME (AP) Roberto Mancini issued an apology in his first public comments Wednesday after being rehired to coach an Italy squad in crisis three years after he abandoned the same job for a lucrative contract with Saudi Arabia.Im very sorry, Mancini said. It was like losing the woman of your life. And it means you did something that shouldnt have been done. So Im sorry, very sorry also for everything that happened over these last three years. Im going to try to bring the national team back where it belongs.Italy failed for a third straight time to qualify for the World Cup, prompting the resignations of federation president Gabriele Gravina and coach Gennaro Gattuso in April, shortly after a playoff defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina.The 61-year-old Mancini led the Azzurri to the European Championship title in 2021 but shockingly resigned as Italy coach in August 2023, taking over Saudi Arabias national team two weeks later.It was completely my fault, Mancini said, referring to a lack of communication with Gravina.Mancinis first match back in charge will be against Belgium in the Nations League on Sept. 25 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. He was asked about what type of reception fans might give him.I realize some people will be against me, Mancini said. Im hoping the squad plays well enough that maybe people will forgive me.Mancini was a fourth-choice option after Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola turned the job down and Andrea Pirlo was dropped as a candidate amid political concerns over a sponsorship deal with a Russian betting firm.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer