Latest news with #Southpaw
Irish Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Former UFC star to make professional boxing debut on Crocker v Donovan 2 card
Former UFC star Molly McCann will make her professional boxing debut on the huge Lewis Crocker v Paddy Donovan 2 card in Belfast. The Liverpool native, who ended her MMA career in March with a record of 14 wins and eight defeats, has signed with Matchroom Boxing. "It was just the right time to leave the sport of MMA so I chose to leave the sport knowing I had a career waiting for me in boxing," McCann said earlier this month. "The boxing pedigree is there. I was in and out of the boxing gym growing up because I like to fight and like to punch. I can just go. I will fight anyone, wherever, whenever." Promoter Eddie Hearn added at the time: "She'll compete now as a boxer and about time, I'd like to say as well, a former ABA champion, everyone knows the ability as a boxer, obviously been a massive star within the UFC and built her profile globally as well. "We're delighted to start the journey, delighted she chose Matchroom, going to be fighting all around the world and there are going to be some massive nights. We want to keep her nice and active." McCann will make her debut on September 13 at Windsor Park against a yet to be named opponent. A number of bouts for the Belfast show were announced on Friday, including a big co-main event between destructive Light-Middleweight sensation Ishamel Davis and Belfast's own Caoimhín Agyarko.. Caoimhin Agyarko (Image: Mark Robinson/Matchroom) Agyarko stepped in for Davis back in April when injury scuppered his fight with Ryan Kelly – which the Irish fighter duly came through with a majority decision points win. But Davis will be looking to get back to winning ways having featured last on successive Riyadh Season cards in London and in the Saudi capital respectively in which he went the distance against Josh Kelly last September at short notice, before falling to WBC ranked No.1 Serhii Bohachuk last December. 'The Mighty Celt' Tyrone McKenna is another popular homegrown addition to the card as the Welterweight, who in 2023 fell to a unanimous decision to Lewis Crocker – faces a familiar foe in Dylan Moran. The duo collided last December in Waterford where McKenna celebrated an early stoppage, and he'll be looking to repeat his triumph over his fellow Southpaw when they lock horns once again. Cruiserweight sensation Pat Brown, meanwhile, will fight inside a stadium setting for the first time when the popular Team GB Olympian travels across the Irish Sea from Manchester. Brown – labelled by promoter Eddie Hearn as "one of the most exciting fighters in the world' – has enjoyed a sterling start to life in the professional ranks with the 6ft 6in powerhouse blasting his way to a flawless 3-0 start with a hat-trick of knockouts since he turned over last March. And another rising, unbeaten British charge in Aaron Bowen joins Brown on the card as the 6-0 (4 KOs) Coventry Middleweight looks to continue his impressive ascent up the rankings. 'We expect a sell-out crowd for this historic night in Belfast and one of the best atmospheres you've ever witnessed in Irish boxing – you do not want to miss this,' said Matchroom Sport chairman, Eddie Hearn. 'It is the first boxing event at the stadium since the iconic Carl Frampton headlined here back in 2018, and the main event couldn't be more fitting. Two of the best Welterweights in the world battling it out for the IBF World Title – and now we have a blockbuster undercard too.'
IOL News
27-06-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Kevin Lerena vs. Lawrence Okolie: Anticipation builds for Wembley showdown
READY FOR THE CHALLENGE Kevin Lerena aims to make a significant impact in the heavyweight division by defeating Lawrence Okolie in his WBC Bridgerweight title defence at Wembley Stadium on July 19, potentially paving the way for a world title challenge. Picture: Michael Sherman/IOL After what many described as a mis-match against Ukranian Serhiy Radchenko in early May, South Africa's Kevin Lerena will be looking to make a statement against Lawrence Okolie, in his WBC Bridgerweight title defence, next month at Wembley Stadium. As Lerena points out, a number of the heavyweights have avoided jumping into the ring with the Southpaw, and fighting in the high-profile event in London on July 19 will have come like mana from heaven for the boxer as his WBC Silverweight champion, Okolie, accepted the clash. Fights have been difficult to secure for Lerena, and a loss to Justis Huni in March last year did not help his cause. That fight in particular would have been incredibly tough for Lerena, as the bout took place the day after his mother died.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
How Carlos Rodon overcame his rough first Yankees season: ‘I don't give up'
Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodón throws against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. Carlos Rodón was always known as an above-average MLB starter. After his impressive 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Chicago White Sox and San Francisco Giants, respectively, the Yankees decided to sign him to a six-year, $162 million contract in free agency. Advertisement However, this signing did not begin well for Rodón. Some saw the Southpaw's first two seasons in pinstripes as lackluster and not worth the large contract he was given. Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodón throws against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. AP From 2022 to 2023, Rodon's ERA and WHIP jumped massively, and his strikeout numbers dropped a lot as well. Injuries at the beginning and end of the season also did not help the starting pitcher. Rodón ended the season with a record of 3-8. Rodón spoke on The Show Podcast with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman about how mentally draining that season was for him. 'It was rough. Long drives home, a lot of time in my head, thinking about what's wrong, why can't I make this better.' Rodón said. 'I wish I was better at the time. But I wasn't. At that point, Rodón realized he needed to evolve in some way. One change he made was to his pitch arsenal. Advertisement For most of his career, Rodón was known for just his fastball and slider. However, he has been able to add three new pitches: A curveball, a sinker, and a changeup. To most, that would seem difficult for a pitcher, let alone one who has been in the league for several years. But that is where Rodón's mental fortitude shone. 'I don't give up. I never really have,' Rodón said, 'it's just not in my nature.' That attitude helped him become a better player, and it has shown. Now with his new pitching repertoire, Rodón has had a stellar start to the season. He has the fewest Hits per nine innings in the American League. His record this season sits at 7-3 with a 2.60 ERA and a WHIP of .94 Robert Sabo for NY Post The lefty has helped the Yankees get off to a strong start, sitting atop the AL East standings. But Rodón and the Yankees still have one goal in mind. Making it back to the World Series. Rodón believes that this team has what it takes to make it back. 'I think we have a better team this year. Rodón said, 'Obviously, we still have to get there. So there's still games to be won.'
New York Post
03-06-2025
- Business
- New York Post
How Carlos Rodon overcame his rough first Yankees season: ‘I don't give up'
Carlos Rodón was always known as an above-average MLB starter. After his impressive 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Chicago White Sox and San Francisco Giants, respectively, the Yankees decided to sign him to a six-year, $162 million contract in free agency. However, this signing did not begin well for Rodón. Some saw the Southpaw's first two seasons in pinstripes as lackluster and not worth the large contract he was given. Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodón throws against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. AP From 2022 to 2023, Rodon's ERA and WHIP jumped massively, and his strikeout numbers dropped a lot as well. Injuries at the beginning and end of the season also did not help the starting pitcher. Rodón ended the season with a record of 3-8. Rodón spoke on The Show Podcast with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman about how mentally draining that season was for him. 'It was rough. Long drives home, a lot of time in my head, thinking about what's wrong, why can't I make this better.' Rodón said. 'I wish I was better at the time. But I wasn't. At that point, Rodón realized he needed to evolve in some way. One change he made was to his pitch arsenal. For most of his career, Rodón was known for just his fastball and slider. However, he has been able to add three new pitches: A curveball, a sinker, and a changeup. To most, that would seem difficult for a pitcher, let alone one who has been in the league for several years. But that is where Rodón's mental fortitude shone. 'I don't give up. I never really have,' Rodón said, 'it's just not in my nature.' That attitude helped him become a better player, and it has shown. Now with his new pitching repertoire, Rodón has had a stellar start to the season. He has the fewest Hits per nine innings in the American League. His record this season sits at 7-3 with a 2.60 ERA and a WHIP of .94 Robert Sabo for NY Post The lefty has helped the Yankees get off to a strong start, sitting atop the AL East standings. But Rodón and the Yankees still have one goal in mind. Making it back to the World Series. Rodón believes that this team has what it takes to make it back. 'I think we have a better team this year. Rodón said, 'Obviously, we still have to get there. So there's still games to be won.'
NDTV
28-05-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
From Vaibhav Suryavanshi's Record Ton To Rishabh Pant's Struggles: IPL 2025's Highs And Lows Till Now
IPL's costliest-ever player Rishabh Pant at last delivered the goods with a ton in the final match but Lucknow Super Giants missed the bus. Axar Patel's Delhi Capitals nosedived from cruise control. Former winners Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders cut a sorry figure while Sunrisers Hyderabad misfired all the way through. In all, it took 67 days including a 10-day break, for the IPL to go through its preliminary round of 70 matches this year which witnessed some surreal highs and disappointing lows. Here's a recap so far before the playoffs begin: Young guns make a strong dent: RR's Vaibhav Suryavanshi was a 13-year-old when he was picked in the mega auction last December and at 14 in May, he became the youngest ever to score the fastest IPL ton for an Indian off 35 balls and second fastest ever, against Gujarat Titans. His finesse in stroke play and spunk at the biggest stage captivated the game's greats. While India T20I opener Abhishek Sharma was also among those who hit centuries, it also included Punjab Kings' uncapped Priyansh Arya, who took apart a lowly CSK with his maiden IPL ton. Prabhsimran Singh also showed he has got the goods while Ayush Mhatre gave CSK some reasons to smile. Daunting SRH misfire: Last year's runner-up SRH came in with one of the most intimidating batting line-ups but the all-out attack approach fell flat on its face. SRH began the IPL with the second highest total ever of 286/6 against RR and ended with the third highest, of 278/3 against KKR. In between, it looked like SRH never had a Plan B with the bat, Nitish Kumar Reddy largely disappointed and not having a quality spinner to bowl in the powerplay hurt them. CSK learn their lessons the hard way: Change is the only constant goes the old adage and CSK learnt it the hard way this year. The side was forced to part with its philosophy of keeping young talent on the bench and rely only on seasoned players such as MS Dhoni. At the top, the 17-year-old Mumbai batter Mhatre thrived against the odds while Proteas' Dewald Brevis dazzled towards the end. The 20-year-old Afghan Noor Ahmad emerged as CSK's most successful spinner with R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja being the other options. Sai Sudharsan comes of age: The young Southpaw showed that a no-risk approach with relentless attack at every opportunity can be a way to amass runs. he tops the charts right now with more than 670 runs and was deservingly rewarded with a national call-up for the Test tour of England. From being retired out for batting slowly in 2023 to being one of the best batters in 2025, Gujarat Titans' Sudharsan proved his time has come. Mumbai Indians do a Mumbai Indians: Four defeats in first five games marked yet another typical Mumbai Indians' start to an IPL, but Hardik Pandya's men came back roaring to win next six matches to establish themselves among the front-runners. Rohit Sharma and Tilak Varma have blown hot and cold but Suryakumar Yadav showed why he is among the best in the business with remarkable consistency, while Jasprit Bumrah's 17 wickets in 10 matches must set alarm bells ringing in opposition camps. RR's forgettable season: From sweating on Sanju Samson's fitness and form to lack of gumption shown by others, RR endured a forgettable season to finish second last ahead of CSK. Parting ways with key players including Jos Buttler, Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal and Trent Boult disturbed their balance more than perhaps RR imagined. High-flying DC nosedive: The Capitals began this IPL looking like they won't put a foot wrong but when it came to being clinical and consistent, the fight petered out. DC began with five wins in first six matches and were perched at the top of the table, but a stunning nosedive saw them lose five out of the next eight. KKR misfire but Rahane stands tall: Rahane waged a lone battle of sorts but the season was also poor for the franchise's costliest player and vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer. With five defeats in first eight matches, it was all but over quite early for the defending champions who failed to play like one. Marsh, Pooran stand tall in LSG rabble: Five wins in first eight games -- built largely on the top-order's success -- gave LSG a chance to finish in the final four but there were more areas of concerns than bright spots. Pant's horror run with the bat, lack of depth in middle order and lack of variation in bowling saw them miss out on playoffs again but Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram gave them the substance amid Digvesh Rathi's theatrics. Punjab Kings' rise: Skipper Shreyas Iyer's performances in last one year or so have been screaming out loud that there is more to him than what is perceived and it was no surprise to see that he was the anchor of the perennial strugglers' remarkable turnaround. With a determined Iyer and hard-nosed head coach in Australian Ricky Ponting at the helm, there was little doubt that PBKS would be one of the teams to beat and performances like the one against KKR, to defend lowest-ever total (111), was only an example. Gill's Titans take flight: He has scored 400 runs at least since he joined Gujarat Titans three years ago but Gill not only continued to lead by example, but ensured his side remained ahead of the race despite a lop-sided batting and lack of form of one of their premier bowlers in Rashid Khan.
