Oleksandr Usyk ordered to defend WBO heavyweight title against Joseph Parker
Both parties have 30 days to agree terms or the WBO will proceed to a purse bid. Parker, the former world champion, is on a five-fight winning streak, including impressive wins over the former WBC world champion Deontay Wilder, Martin Bakole, and Zhilei Zhang.
Parker's impressive performances had earned him his first chance to win a world title in seven years against Daniel Dubois in February. However Dubois withdrew due to an infection two days before the bout. Instead he fought Bakole, winning with a second-round KO.
The fight against Dubois was not rescheduled and the British fighter then signed to fight Usyk, leaving Parker waiting even longer for his world title opportunity.
Parker's scintillating form has been much aided by his coach Andy Lee, who has also helped Hamzah Sheeraz and Ben Whittaker earn breakthrough stoppage victories against Edgar Berlanga and Liam Cameron respectively.
Usyk, the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO champion, mentioned the possibility of defending his titles against Parker on Saturday, with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua being other possibilities.
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Fury has insisted that the judges were wrong to award Usyk the victory in their two previous fights in Riyadh last year. Fury has claimed he is next in line, even posting on Instagram that the fight was set for April 2026.
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The Guardian
31 minutes ago
- The Guardian
‘Proper England': perfect unity that shows how Lionesses triumphed over the odds
For some reason, as Chloe Kelly's penalty hits the net and the England players explode across the pitch like streaks of white light, as Sarina Wiegman and Arjan Veurink embrace on the touchline, as England fans clutch each other in the stands, the eye is drawn to Khiara Keating of Manchester City. Keating has not played a minute for England at this tournament. In fact, she has never played a minute for England at all. In fact, there was not the remotest possibility that she would play a minute for England at this tournament, and she knew this all along. Her entire Euros has consisted of training, travel and watching football from a hard bench. And yet at the moment of victory, nobody celebrates harder than England's third goalkeeper. It's Keating who is one of the first of the substitutes to reach the ecstatic huddle of white shirts on the pitch, Keating being hoisted aloft by the second-choice goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse, Keating doing a funky dance in front of the England fans, Keating beaming behind Leah Williamson and Keira Walsh as the trophy is lifted amid a fanfare of ticker tape and smoke. This is very clearly a triumph in which she feels just as invested and included as any other player, a triumph that is hers too, as surely as if she had saved the match-winning penalty. And as the dust settles on Sunday's epic final, perhaps this little snapshot of perfect unity gives an insight into just how England managed to triumph over the odds. 'This team shows exactly what it's like to be English,' Kelly said after the final on Sunday, riffing on a theme that many of her teammates have also taken up in recent weeks. And while the temptation is simply to nod along, surely it's worth taking a moment to interrogate which part exactly Kelly was referring to. The winning? The close finish? The physicality? The fighting spirit? The calm under pressure? The togetherness? Would a nonchalant 5-1 victory with a late Spanish consolation goal still qualify? This notion of 'proper England', a phrase first deployed after the 1-0 win against Spain in February and a recurring trope since, seems to vary depending on who you ask. 'It's that we give everything, we run ourselves into the ground,' Walsh said. For Alessia Russo it means 'we'll stick together'. For Lucy Bronze it means 'if push comes to shove, we can win in any means possible'. For Sarina Wiegman, it means 'passing with purpose'. But of course the Englishness Kelly and her colleagues are referring to here is not really a dictum, far less a tactical blueprint. 'Proper England' can mean passing a team off the park or lumping long balls to a big No 9 (the 'Hit 'Less' strategy employed against Sweden). Rather – and much like the fluid nature of nationality itself – it is an energy, an ethos, an unspoken creed, a pure vibe. Proper England is playing an entire tournament with a fractured tibia. Proper England is Jill Scott swearing at some German who probably had it coming. And of course the method of England's victories at this tournament is very much of a piece with what we like to imagine as the classic English sporting triumph, from Kelly Holmes coming back from last place at the 2004 Olympics, to Jonny Wilkinson winning the World Cup with the final kick, to the pandemonium of the 2019 Cricket World Cup final. Victory is no prerequisite – there is also a solid place in the liturgy for the heroic failure of Derek Redmond and Frank Bruno. What matters is the intent, the full and undiluted commitment, the sporting equivalent of going 'out out'. 'Proper England' is just the latest attempt by an English sporting team to articulate just what, exactly, makes it English. Bazball, the dogma of the men's cricket team, is fundamentally a marketing strategy, a doctrine of spellbinding nihilism wrapped up in nonsense slogans and daddy issues. Gareth Southgate's concept of Englishness, meanwhile, was best expressed in his famous Dear England essay of 2021, a patchwork quilt of competing influences that nobody really seemed to realise were competing at the time. So along with the idea of sport as a vessel for fairness, protest and social justice, Southgate also appeals to the traditions of 'queen and country … military and service'. This is an England of humility and passive tolerance, a quietly conservative England in which every man swears to do his duty, as long as you don't put too many noses out of joint. Protesting racist abuse: fine. Protesting against a Qatar World Cup: ooof, bit much. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion And so of course by trying to navigate the culture wars Southgate's team ended up being co-opted into them, and ultimately resiling from them. The women's team, by contrast, are a group far more engaged with the outside world, more urgently aware of the power of their platform, instinctively closer to progressive causes through their LGBT allyship. This matters, because even before their plane had touched down at Southend Airport their triumph was being co-opted by people who believe the very opposite. For Exhibit A, study Monday's Daily Mail, which juxtaposed a gleeful photo of Kelly and Michelle Agyemang with the more sombre headline 'NOW SHUT MIGRANT PROTEST HOTEL'. Hannah Hampton's declaration that 'we've got English blood in us' was feverishly seized upon by Tommy Robinson and his acolytes as proof that the Lionesses are actually a sleeper ethnonationalist cell. A columnist in the Spectator, meanwhile, paid begrudging tribute to England before promptly getting on to its main talking points: the taking of the knee, the 'foolish and irrelevant' pursuit of equality with men's football and – bingo cards at the ready! – the usual gratuitous swipes at Labour and trans people. And once you've stopped yawning, there is of course an ever-present danger that an achievement this spectacular and unifying will be celebrated by the wrong people for all the wrong reasons. Which is why it is the actions rather than the words of this team that speak to its nature. A team so evidently built on selflessness, individual sacrifice for the common good, inclusiveness and mutual support, hard work and manual labour, where an attack on one is an attack on all, where nobody is grander or more important than anyone else. A team drawn from every corner of the nation, just 4% of them privately educated, a group of women from which we can all learn a thing or two. And if that's not proper English, then what is?
The Sun
31 minutes ago
- The Sun
Lionesses were in crisis going into Euro 2025 as critics turned on Sarina Wiegman… England boss is owed an apology
SARINA WIEGMAN is owed an apology. By any and all who doubted her ahead of this, a third straight women's Euros triumph for the 55-year-old. 5 5 5 Wiegman, cemented now as one of the greatest managers in the history of women's football, described Euro 2025 as the most chaotic tournament she had ever experienced. But even before England arrived in Switzerland to defend their title, the Dutchwoman was facing intense scrutiny. After the influential duo of Mary Earps and Millie Bright ruled themselves out just weeks before the tournament and Fran Kirby retired from international football after being told she would not go to the Euros, faith in Wiegman was on the wane. Crisis had struck and many questioned if the woman in charge could handle the fallout and whether she had caused it. Had she lost her touch? Was she too direct or brutally honest with her players? Those questions looked foolish as the Lionesses flew back home yesterday, trophy in hand for a second time. Wiegman's players were in awe of her in Switzerland, a manager who kept her cool with the team on the brink more than once. The ex-Netherlands boss told the squad they had almost killed her twice, with last-gasp comebacks against Sweden and Italy in the quarter-final and semi-final. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Wiegman had to stand and watch three spells of extra-time — the first time any side has gone the distance in three games at a women's Euros. She also had to endure two penalty shootouts, which both swung dramatically from one side to the other. Wiegman insisted there was no lack of belief during those nervy knockout ties — but the manager did admit there were brief moments when she thought they were going home. While there was a calm exterior throughout every close call, she was 'having a heart attack' inside. Despite that, she always found the right words for the moment. Delivering emotional and inspirational speeches when they were needed most. Those messages all had an edge. The Lionesses boss said she could not repeat some of the language from her team-talks, while sales of the 'b**tches get s*** done' washbags will surely skyrocket. Having kept her cool throughout, the moment Chloe Kelly fired home the winning shootout penalty against Spain in the final, things finally cracked. Wiegman said: 'I just started running. I'd been screaming for three minutes. I just could not believe that we won it. 'When she went to take that penalty, her conviction again — and she just loves these moments.' Players were shown clips of their finest moments out here, one last confidence boost to get over the line when hope appeared lost. Wiegman showed faith in the likes of teenage striker Michelle Agyemang unknown to all but the most ardent Women's Super League fans before this tournament. She's bloody amazing. She's an incredible woman. What she's done for this country, we should all be so grateful for. Chloe Kelly on Sarina Wiegman Agyemang, 19, is a new favourite, scoring the leveller against Sweden after England were 2-0 down, before the most dramatic of injury-time equalisers to set up the semi-final win against Italy in extra-time. But the resolve and determination which has defined England's heroines all stems from their coach, also a Euros winner with her native Holland in 2017, and her staff. There are so many of this squad who have faced adversity, did not think they would be here or had struggles throughout the tournament. Kelly, England's finals icon, feared she would not even make the squad after falling out of favour at Manchester City earlier in the season. But Wiegman stuck with her. A loan move to Arsenal followed, where she won the Champions League with victory over Barcelona — before scoring or assisting in every Euros knockout game and hitting the winning spot-kick. Kelly said of the Lionesses boss: 'She's bloody amazing. She's an incredible woman. What she's done for this country, we should all be so grateful for. 'What she's done for me individually, she gave me hope when I probably didn't have any. 'She gave me an opportunity to represent my country again. 'What she's done for the women's game, not just in England, in the Netherlands she's done it, she's taken it to a whole other level. 'Are you sure?' 'The work doesn't go unnoticed from the staff behind her, they're incredible people.' Jess Carter was dropped for the semi-final against Italy after some shaky performances. And the Chelsea defender's misery was compounded by some horrific racist abuse from online trolls. But Wiegman showed the faith to restore her in Basel — and Carter delivered the performance of a lifetime against Spain. The centre-back, 27, said: 'We went into training and she sat me down and said, 'I'm thinking of starting you on Sunday'. I said, 'OK, thanks'. 'After, I was thinking, 'Are you sure?' To have that faith from Sarina to put me back in the squad and that she believed I could help this team to a trophy was amazing. 'It gave me a lot of confidence going into this game.' Wiegman revealed ahead of the final that she had fallen in love with England. There can be few who will argue the feeling is not mutual. 5
The Guardian
31 minutes ago
- The Guardian
England squad ratings: how all the Lionesses performed in Euro 2025 triumph
Hannah Hampton (goalkeeper) Repaid her manager's faith after she was made England's No 1 before the tournament. Handled the pressure brilliantly with two player-of-the-match performances. Her two penalty saves in both of the Lionesses' shootouts were crucial, as was her shot-stopping throughout. Produced match-saving stops in the final to deny Esther González and Clàudia Pina while her last-minute effort against Italy ensured the game went to extra time. 9/10 Appearances 6 | Minutes played 630 | Saves made 17 | Goals conceded 7 | Passing accuracy 73.3% Lucy Bronze (defender) 'I think the only way to get her off the pitch is in a wheelchair,' Wiegman said after her exemplary quarter-final performance. England's warrior at right-back revealed after the final that she had played the entire tournament with a fractured tibia. Epitomises the Lionesses' never-say-die attitude and provided leadership. The scenes of her bandaging up her own leg during the Sweden game before ripping it off to bury her penalty – her first for her country – will live long in the memory. 8 Appearances 6 | Minutes played 598 | Goals 1 | Assists 0 | Balls recovered 36 | Passing accuracy 78.34% | Yellow cards 1 Alex Greenwood (defender) Came into the tournament having just recovered from a knee injury and played every game. Started at centre-back but was shifted to full-back after the loss to France exposed England's left side. Her return to the position where she began her career brought more stability. Struggled defensively at times but was a key outlet going forward and built a strong relationship with Lauren Hemp. 7 Appearances 6 | Minutes played 625 | Goals 0 | Assists 0 | Balls recovered 36 | Passing accuracy 82.5% | Yellow cards 0 Leah Williamson (defender) The first England captain to win back-to-back trophies and the first to do it overseas. Led her team by example both on and off the field while carrying an ankle knock. One of the best ball-playing centre-backs in Europe, her passing ability adds a different dynamic to the attack. A near perfect performance in the final where she didn't concede a single foul in 120 minutes. Only blemish was seeing her penalty saved. 8 Appearances 6 | Minutes played 580 | Goals 0 | Assists 0 | Balls recovered 47 | Passing accuracy 86.84% | Yellow cards 0 Jess Carter (defender) Struggled down the left against the speed of France and Sweden but looked much more comfortable when moved to centre-back. The character she displayed after receiving racist abuse was admirable. A quiet leader who gained her 50th cap during the tournament. Her performance in the final was standout for the way she commanded the backline and handled Spain's numerous tricky attackers with ease. 7 Appearances 6 | Minutes played 431 | Goals 0 | Assists 0 | Balls recovered 27 | Passing accuracy 73% | Yellow cards 0 Keira Walsh (midfielder) Ever present at the heart of midfield. Can struggle to impact proceedings when marked out of games but found herself higher up the field than normal and influencing the attack. Strong dynamic with both Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone. Rewarded with a goal against France. Tireless performance marshalling Aitana Bonmatí in the final and played a crucial role in the buildup to Alessia Russo's equaliser. 7 Appearances 6 | Minutes played 599 | Goals 1 | Assists 0 | Fouls committed 5 | Passing accuracy 82.67% | Yellow cards 0 Georgia Stanway (midfielder) Produced her best performance in an England shirt for quite a while in the final with her undimmed energy and tenacity in a challenge. Struggled at the start – not completely unexpected given her time out with injury – but grew into the tournament and role. Her two goals – one from the spot and one trademark effort from distance – contributed to the Lionesses' progression from the Group of Death. 7 Appearances 6 | Minutes played 519 | Goals 2 | Assists 0 | Fouls committed 7 | Passing accuracy 81.5% | Yellow cards 0 Ella Toone (midfielder) 'I've missed this Ella Toone. I've not had it for a while,' Toone said after her standout performance against Wales. There is no doubt it has been a tough year for England's No 10 after the loss of her father, Nick in September. Found her form at the perfect time. Her marshalling of Patri Guijarro in the final was tireless and effective. 8 Appearances 6 | Minutes played 427 | Goals 2 | Assists 2 | Fouls committed 2 | Passing accuracy 84% | Yellow cards 1 Lauren James (forward) When Lauren James is on the pitch, anything can happen. Her recovery from a hamstring issue that had kept her out since March was a massive boost but maybe too soon for her to show her best consistently. Player-of-the-match worthy performance against the Dutch and Wales with the iconic celebrations to boot but an ankle injury sustained against Sweden and Italy hampered her performance in the final as she was forced off early. 7 Appearances 6 | Minutes played 391 | Goals 2 | Assists 0 | Total attempts 14 | Passing accuracy 85.34% | Yellow cards 0 Lauren Hemp (forward) Another of England's injured cohort who just about made it back in time. Lack of minutes in the buildup to the tournament probably meant she wasn't always at her most effective but an ever-dependable outlet on the left. Her shift to the right side against Spain was a crucial tactical element to the Lionesses' success as she challenged Olga Carmona constantly with her speed. 7 Appearances 6 | Minutes played 528 | Goals 1 | Assists 0 | Total attempts 13 | Passing accuracy 77% | Yellow cards 1 Alessia Russo (forward) Goals always matter when judging a centre-forward's performance and she was unable to find the form in front of goal that had served her so well this season – until the final, when she scored a superb header to equalise against Spain. She was not helped by a lack of service but it is her work out of possession that really influenced England. Her tireless running and intelligence in activating the press was second to none. 8 Appearances 6 | Minutes played 507 | Goals 2 | Assists 3 | Total attempts 16 | Passing accuracy 82.84% | Yellow cards 1 Esme Morgan (defender) Made her first major tournament appearance against Sweden as a second-half substitute and was instrumental to the success of England's shift to a back three that changed the course of the match. Her aerial ability and pace were crucial in steadying the defensive ship. Strong against Italy despite the pressure of the occasion with a performance that displayed her growing maturity. 7 Appearances 2 | Minutes played 170 | Goals 0 | Assists 0 | Balls recovered 12 | Passing accuracy 94.5% | Yellow cards 1 Michelle Agyemang (forward) The breakout star of Euro 2025. Propelled into the senior side at the last minute, the 19-year-old forward grabbed her opportunities with both hands. Displaying a maturity beyond her years, she was one of the Lionesses' gamechangers. Saved England's tournament twice with late equalisers against Sweden and Italy, while she came on to provide fresh energy with the score level in the final. Never looked fazed by the pressure. 9 Appearances 4 | Minutes played 138 | Goals 2 | Assists 0 | Total attempts 6 | Passing accuracy 72.5% | Yellow cards 1 Chloe Kelly (forward) England's title winner not once but twice. When Kelly enters the pitch, you know something will happen. Her impact from the bench was undeniable as she challenged tiring defences with her direct running and pinpoint deliveries. Her trademark penalty style just added to the story. A rollercoaster of a year but she finishes on a high with Champions League and Euros winners' medals. 9 Appearances 6 | Minutes played 251 | Goals 1 | Assists 2 | Total attempts 8 | Passing accuracy 78.84% | Yellow cards 1 Beth Mead (forward) Ever reliable when called upon despite the disappointment of having to start from the bench. Her goal against Wales and the celebrations that followed were emotional. Asked to play in every midfield position in the knockout stages and did so with competence. Added crucial defensive cover in addition to her attacking abilities. 7 Appearances 6 | Minutes played 278 | Goals 1 | Assists 1 | Total attempts 3 | Passing accuracy 71.67% | Yellow cards 1 Niamh Charles (defender) Reliable whenever she was called upon. Her goalline clearance against Sweden was notable as was the way she brought composure to England's defence in the latter stages against Spain. Confident penalty in the final shootout. 6 Appearances 5 | Minutes played 78 | Goals 0 | Assists 0 | Balls recovered 3 | Passing accuracy 82% | Yellow cards 0 Aggie Beever-Jones (forward) Saw less game time than she was perhaps hoping for but caught the eye when given her opportunity. An instinctive goalscorer, she opened her major tournament account with a fine finish against Wales. Crucial impact and energy from the bench to help England over the line in the semi-final. 7 Appearances 3 | Minutes played 74 | Goals 1 | Assists 1 | Total attempts 2 | Passing accuracy 79.34% | Yellow cards 0 Grace Clinton (midfield) Given limited time from the bench but replaced tired legs in midfield with efficiency on multiple occasions. Came on as the holding midfielder, which is not her natural position but performed it with confidence. 6 Appearances 5 | Minutes played 65 | Goals 0 | Assists 0 | Fouls committed 0 | Passing accuracy 78.41% | Yellow cards 0 Jess Park (forward) Made one appearance in her first major tournament as a senior coming on for Ella Toone. Played 45 minutes against Wales, looking comfortable in midfield. Would probably have hoped for more. 6 Appearances 1 | Minutes played 45 | Goals 0 | Assists 0 | Total attempts 1 | Passing accuracy 87% | Yellow cards 0 Anna Moorhouse (goalkeeper) Came into the squad off the back of an outstanding season at Orlando Pride, providing competition to a goalkeeping unit that was dealing with the loss of Mary Earps. Did not play. Khiara Keating (goalkeeper) Most likely England's No 2 in the tournament but was not called upon. A vivacious, bubbly character who, in her own words, brings the vibes and no doubt plenty of competition. Did not play. Maya Le Tissier (defender) Can count herself unlucky to be on the fringes after a superb season at Manchester United. Would have upped the levels in training and her leadership on the bench would have been key. Celebrations with Beever-Jones after the win against Sweden were an example of the team unit England have built. Did not play. Lotte Wubben-Moy (defender) The ultimate team player. Wiegman knows she can rely on her to step up behind the scenes and provide both competition and leadership on and off the field. Did not play. Sarina Wiegman (head coach) It often seems that Wiegman herself doesn't even understand how she has managed to win three straight European Championships. Guided England with composure and quiet leadership even in the tensest of moments. A clear bond with and trust in her players to create the environment where their resilience can thrive. Maybe a bit slow to make changes in games at times but it is hard to argue with her judgment given her record. 9
