Aug 15, 2021 Mike CoppingerESPN TULSA, Okla. — Joshua Franco settled the score with Andrew Moloney on Saturday, capping a rivalry that climaxed with a controversial finish in November and ended at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino with a decisive victory in the ESPN main event. Franco, nicknamed “The Professor,” retained his secondary WBA
8:03 AM ET It seemed that the welterweight division was finally going to succeed in delivering a fight between two of the top boxers that’s been starved for big bouts. Everything was looking good in the lead-up until an eye injury for Errol Spence Jr. scuttled his fight against Manny Pacquiao. Because another big welterweight
7:00 AM ET Editor’s note: From rising strikeout totals and unwritten-rules debates to connecting with a new generation of fans and a looming labor battle, baseball is at a crossroads. As MLB faces these challenges, we are embarking on a season-long look at The State of Baseball, examining the issues and storylines that will determine
7:00 AM ET Nikolaj Ehlers is a great example of the “breakout player” life cycle in the NHL. The Winnipeg Jets forward was heralded as a prospect, as the ninth overall pick in 2014. He made a leap in quality from his rookie season in 2015-16 to his second campaign in 2016-17, and then stayed
7:00 AM ET Michigan‘s inability to truly break through under football coach Jim Harbaugh is multilayered and, to be fair, touches all parts of the roster. But the attention has been focused, and it will continue to be focused, on one position group: quarterback. Many expected the position to be thriving in Year 7 of
4:31 PM ET HOUSTON — After returning to the field for a week, Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson did not practice on Monday afternoon. Watson, who reported to camp on July 25 after requesting a trade in January, practiced for the first five days of training camp, was not on the field for the next
7:15 AM ET Tuesday’s Las Vegas Summer League championship game (9 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN App) will feature the Boston Celtics and the Sacramento Kings — both undefeated coming into the finale. Boston’s run has been fueled by a pair of second-year players in Payton Pritchard and Aaron Nesmith, a backcourt duo that has shined
7:32 AM ET JERSEY CITY, N.Y. — It’s playoff time, golf style. And there is not much time to get settled and take it all in. The FedEx Cup playoffs begin this week at the Northern Trust, continue next week with the BMW Championship and conclude a week later with the Tour Championship. At the
4:03 AM ET The summer transfer window is into its final month for the major European leagues, which means the biggest clubs are looking to make a splash in the market before the new season begins. Check out the latest gossip below, and see all official deals here. TOP STORY: PSG’s Ronaldo-Messi plot must wait
6:00 AM ET World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas said he would only get the COVID-19 vaccine if it became mandatory to compete in tennis. While the men’s ATP Tour has publicly encouraged players to get vaccinated, the 23-year-old Greek is among those who still have reservations. “No one has told me anything. No one has
Sachin Tendulkar said the current England team is in complete awe of India’s world-class seam attack with only its skipper Joe Root looking capable of getting a big hundred. In an exclusive interview with PTI, the iconic batsman spoke on a host of issues including India’s victory, the standard of England Test team, skipper Virat Kohli’s
1:25 AM BST While some former Wallabies are plumping for greater selection of overseas-based players, ex-Test stars Ben Darwin and Stirling Mortlock feel it could see Australia slide further down the world rugby rankings. Following a record Bledisloe Cup defeat by New Zealand, Rugby Australia is reportedly looking at lowering the existing 60-cap selection requirement
11:59 PM ET LOS ANGELES — As she sat on the witness stand, the woman accusing Trevor Bauer of domestic violence and sexual assault pulled her hair around her neck to show a judge how she alleges the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher strangled her unconscious. It was one of several emotional moments that took place
India defeated England by 151 runs to take 1-0 lead in the five-Test series.© AFP India beat England in the second Test at Lord’s on Monday to take a 1-0 series lead in the five-match series. The match saw some dramatic twists before an unbeaten 89-run stand between Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah allowed India to
7:59 PM ET Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart has agreed to a four-year, $77 million contract extension, sources told ESPN. The extension — which begins with the 2022-23 season — is the maximum allowable off Smart’s $14.3 million salary for 2021-22. The deal does not include a player option. Smart has developed into one of
Aug 14, 2021 Mike CoppingerESPN TULSA, Okla. — Wearing a pair of white-and-black trunks his grandfather gifted to him, Muhammad Ali’s grandson Nico Ali Walsh made his pro boxing debut Saturday night with a first-round TKO of Jordan Weeks. Ali Walsh, 21, displayed the kind of flair for the dramatic Ali would surely be proud
7:22 PM ET Naomi Osaka briefly stepped away from a pre-tournament video news conference Monday ahead of the Western & Southern Open, her first media session since representing Japan at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. A reporter asked how Osaka’s training for the upcoming hard-court season was progressing and for her thoughts on the events in
7:24 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Charles Conwell, who represented USA Boxing at the 2016 Olympics, told ESPN he faked a hand injury on the advice of his manager, David McWater, in order to withdraw from an April 8 fight that was slated to headline an NBCSN show. The junior middleweight contender was set to fight