Latest news with #Wilder
USA Today
27-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Notre Dame to receive an official visit from 2026 California 4-star edge rusher
Notre Dame to receive an official visit from 2026 California 4-star edge rusher Back in March when Notre Dame football offered 2026 California edge rusher Khary Wilder, the hope was that the relationship established would lead to bigger things. That's exactly what happened on Tuesday, as On3's Mike Singer reported that the 6-foot, 4-inch and 250-pound defensive lineman will take an official visit to South Bend in mid-June, along with other trips to see Ohio State, UCLA and Washington in the summer. Wilder is one of the top prospect in his class, ranking as the No. 247 overall player in the 247Sports Composite. It very much looks like his recruitment is between multiple Big Ten schools and the Irish, even though he also holds offers from Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and others. Notre Dame already has two big-time players at his position committed, Rodney Dunham and Ebenezer Ewetade, but as we have seen this past year, the Irish can never have enough pass rushers on their roster. Hopefully the official visit goes very well, and Wilder makes a trio of top-end recruits on the edge for Notre Dame.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why can't Sheffield United win a play-off final?
What have Sheffield United got to do to win promotion via the play-offs? The 2-1 loss to Sunderland at Wembley is the 10th time the Blades have failed to go up via the play-offs and their fifth defeat in a final. When Sunderland captain Luke O'Nien dislocated his shoulder inside the opening 120 seconds and Tyrese Campbell coolly clipped over Black Cats keeper Anthony Patterson 23 minutes later, the Blades must have thought their fortunes were finally turning. And then. Pretty much everything that could go wrong for Chris Wilder's side in north-west London did so. The footballing gods conspired against them once again. Harrison Burrows arrowed the Blades into a two-goal lead 10 minutes before the interval, only for the video assistant referee (VAR) to intervene for the one and only time in the Championship this season to chalk the goal off for offside against Vinicius Souza who was blocking Patterson's line of sight. Substitute Andre Brooks pickpocketed Dennis Cirkin and had the chance to double United's lead somewhat against the run of play in the second half with 20 minutes remaining, only to be denied by the studs on the end of Patterson's left boot. It would perhaps prove to be the turning point and catalyst for a succession of events that slowly but surely saw this play-off final slip away from the Blades. Championship player of the year Gustavo Hamer, who brilliantly set up the opener, was forced off with an ankle injury to be replaced by Ben Brereton Diaz, who himself limped off in the final minute. Eliezer Mayenda scored Sunderland's equaliser and with extra time looming, Anel Ahmedhodzic clashed heads with his own team-mate Tom Cannon, suffering an injury and United's third of the game which meant he could not continue. Sheffield United were down to 10 men for the closing stages and before they'd had a chance to make their sixth change, courtesy of the concussion sub protocol, Brighton-bound Tommy Watson - whose name wasn't even on the matchday programme - curled into the bottom corner to seal victory for Sunderland. Wilder could be forgiven for bemoaning his side's bad luck in the final, this season in general and United's never-ending play-off curse, but he says they should have still seen the job through. "It's not luck, it was in our hands," he said in his post-match news conference. "The game was in our hands and we never felt in danger. Michael [Cooper] has not had a save to make. "From a stats point of view, we were on top but we have to kill games off and have that quality. The opposition have taken their chances and punished us severely. "We had an opportunity to change the narrative on the play-offs but we've not done that." Debate about the decision by VAR to overturn Burrows' goal which would have made it 2-0 to United will likely rumble on well into the summer and Wilder says it gave Sunderland "a lifeline and energy". "There will be a lot of talk about VAR," Wilder said. "We've played 46 games, two play-off games and all of a sudden it's a subjective decision. "I don't think the goalkeeper [Patterson] saves it, I don't think he gets anywhere near it." It was perhaps a season that was almost doomed before it had even started for Sheffield United after they were deducted two points for defaulted transfer payments. Despite the early setback, the Blades still amassed 90 points. However, they finished outside the two automatic promotion spots, behind sides who both hit the 100-point mark - something that has never happened before in Championship history. Their points tally would have seen them promoted in 14 of the previous 20 seasons in the second tier and had they not been deducted two points, 92 would have been enough in 17 of those campaigns. Meanwhile, only Leeds United (29) won more games than Sheffield United (28) in the regular season. They may have finished 14 points ahead of Sunderland three weeks ago but the long grind of this season ultimately counted for nothing in the end. "It's going to take quite a while to get over this and we're going to have to suffer and go through the pain again," Wilder said. "The players will be hurting. We have to own it and suffer together. Most of all I'm disappointed for the supporters. "Not to reward them with a win and the opportunity to play in the Premier League hurts a lot." In many ways, today's heartbreak mirrored the regular season with 75% of it going to plan but ending in catastrophic fashion. Three straight defeats by Oxford United, Millwall and Plymouth during the run-in saw United give up a five-point lead to fall to third, which was only further compounded when Burnley secured promotion with a 2-1 win over the Blades at Turf Moor on 21 April. Wilder also said to lose in the manner they did with an injury-time goal in the final "really stings". "They find a fabulous winner and it's chaos and pandemonium from their point of view," he added "It's an incredibly bitter and disappointing situation we found ourselves in. The amount of games I've played and managed, it's not always been a fairytale." But it has been very much a fairytale for Sunderland, who have been down to League One and back up again, and will return to the top flight for the first time in eight years. On this occasion at Wembley, maybe it was the Black Cats who had all the luck. Latest Sheffield United news, analysis and fan views Get Sheffield United news sent straight to your phone
Scottish Sun
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
‘I'd be concerned about him fighting' – Boxing legends including Tyson Fury urge Deontay Wilder to QUIT before comeback
DEONTAY WILDER has been urged to hang up his gloves just a month before his ring return. The former long-reigning WBC heavyweight champion will bid to get back to winning ways on June 27 in a rebuild fight against Tyrrell Herndon. 4 Deontay Wilder has looked like a shell of his old self in his last few fights Credit: GETTY 4 The American has suffered three brutal knockout losses in his last five losses Credit: GETTY 4 Former foe Tyson Fury has urged 'The Bronze Bomber' to hang them up Credit: AP Wilder, 39, will enter the bout on the back of four defeats in his last five outings, with three of those losses being brutal knockouts to Tyson Fury and Zhilei Zhang. The American has looked like a shell of the fighter who struck fear into the hearts of heavyweights during his pomp, so much so that a litany of boxing icons, Fury, included, have urged him to call it a day. During an appearance on the Pound 4 Pound podcast with former UFC champs Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo, he said: "I'd like to see poor old Deontay retire from boxing. 'When I beat Wilder, he was 44 and 0, with 43 KOs, and he KO'd the guy who went the distance with him in the rematch, so that means he knocked out every single person he ever faced. 44 people. READ MORE TYSON FURY 'FOR WHAT?' Tyson Fury insists he's STAYING retired in huge blow to Anthony Joshua 'Obviously, he lost the three fights to me and since that third trilogy, we took a lot of lot of years off each other's lives. "That war, which ended in the 11th round by knockout, that took a lot out of our tanks. "Between me and Wilder in that trilogy there was 10 knockdowns. It takes a lot out of a fighter. 'Even when he's come back and had a couple of fights since, he's only a shadow of his former glory. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 4 Deontay Wilder has vowed to return to the summit of the heavyweight division Credit: Getty "The only thing left that remains the same about Deontay is his name.' Legendary boxing coach Teddy Atlas, who used to train Mike Tyson, shares the same view as Fury. Deontay Wilder's three-fight 'plan' revealed including overdue Anthony Joshua fight Atlas told Slingo: 'The last thing to go, George Foreman showed, is that the last thing to go with a fighter is power. "As long as you have power, you've got a shot. "But the way he's looked, the punishment he took against Zhilei Zhang. "Wilder took a lot of punishment in his last few fights. "And the way he took it, how clean he got hit, and how he reacted to it, just as a human being. "Forget trainer, promoter, anything, just as a human being, I'd be concerned about him fighting again.' Wilder and his team are hoping a win over Herndon will kick-start an unlikely run to a world title, with head coach Malik Scott saying: "He's still got that urge to become champion, because he's a champion at heart. "He's on the second half of his career, he's filthy rich. "He wants to make another run at the heavyweight championship of the world."
The Irish Sun
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘I'd be concerned about him fighting' – Boxing legends including Tyson Fury urge Deontay Wilder to QUIT before comeback
DEONTAY WILDER has been urged to hang up his gloves just a month before his ring return. The former long-reigning WBC heavyweight champion will bid to get back to winning ways on Advertisement 4 Deontay Wilder has looked like a shell of his old self in his last few fights Credit: GETTY 4 The American has suffered three brutal knockout losses in his last five losses Credit: GETTY 4 Former foe Tyson Fury has urged 'The Bronze Bomber' to hang them up Credit: AP The American has looked like a shell of the fighter who struck fear into the hearts of heavyweights during his pomp, so much so that a litany of boxing icons, Fury, included, have urged him to call it a day. During an appearance on the 'When I beat Wilder, he was 44 and 0, with 43 KOs, and he KO'd the guy who went the distance with him in the rematch, so that means he knocked out every single person he ever faced. 44 people. Advertisement READ MORE TYSON FURY 'Obviously, he lost the three fights to me and since that third trilogy, we took a lot of lot of years off each other's lives. "That war, which ended in the 11th round by knockout, that took a lot out of our tanks. "Between me and Wilder in that trilogy there was 10 knockdowns. It takes a lot out of a fighter. 'Even when he's come back and had a couple of fights since, he's only a shadow of his former glory. Advertisement Most read in Boxing JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 4 Deontay Wilder has vowed to return to the summit of the heavyweight division Credit: Getty "The only thing left that remains the same about Deontay is his name.' Legendary boxing coach Teddy Atlas, who used to train Advertisement Deontay Wilder's three-fight 'plan' revealed including overdue Anthony Joshua fight Atlas told power . "As long as you have power , you've got a shot. "But the way he's looked, the punishment he took against Zhilei Zhang. "Wilder took a lot of punishment in his last few fights. Advertisement "And the way he took it, how clean he got hit, and how he reacted to it, just as a human being. "Forget trainer, promoter, anything, just as a human being, I'd be concerned about him fighting again.' Wilder and his team are hoping a win over Herndon will kick-start an unlikely run to a world title, with head coach Malik Scott saying: "He's still got that urge to become champion, because he's a champion at heart. "He's on the second half of his career, he's filthy rich. Advertisement "He wants to make another run at the heavyweight championship of the world."
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sheffield United hope luck will change in poignant playoff final against Sunderland
When the half-time whistle blows at Wembley on Saturday afternoon, Tom Lockyer will temporarily replace Sheffield United and Sunderland as the centre of attention. It is two years since Lockyer collapsed on England's most famous pitch after experiencing atrial fibrillation during Luton's Championship playoff final win against Coventry and almost 18 months since he had a cardiac arrest and almost died while playing for the club at Bournemouth. His life was saved by prompt cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation and now, as an ambassador for the British Heart Foundation's Every Minute Matters campaign, Lockyer and the former footballer turned Hollywood actor Vinnie Jones will offer an on-pitch CPR demonstration. The hope is that a decent percentage of the 80,000 Wembley crowd will be inspired to acquire this vital skill. Related: Following Sheffield United in the hope of playoff success is a lifetime of hurt If Lockyer's presence places the losing finalists' pain in important context, two managers who, in different ways, have breathed fresh life into their clubs will be desperate to avoid missing out on at least £220m in additional income next season. That is the prize awaiting the winner of football's so-called richest game in the Premier League's promised land. While United's Chris Wilder has achieved five promotions with four clubs during a career embracing almost every level of English football's pyramid, Régis Le Bris remains a relative novice. Not that a 49-year-old Frenchman who has spent most of his working life as a youth coach and became a manager – at Lorient – three years ago can be underestimated after his startling rejuvenation of an unusually young squad. For far too long playoffs have felt impossibly high altitude for a United side who have never won promotion this way, losing four finals. Wilder has addressed theproblem by reminding his players that the Wembley air is really not all that thin and maintaining that history is bunk. His hopes of avoiding another demoralising repetition of the past should be enhanced by Gustavo Hamer's presence. Two years ago the Brazil-born attacking midfielder scored for Coventry against Luton at Wembley and, as the Championship player of the season, he possesses the confidence and class to alter the Blades' playoff story. Whatever the result, the occasion will be poignant for everyone connected to United. 'We're incredibly sad George is not with us,' said Wilder, remembering the team's much-loved former right-back George Baldock. The Greece defender drowned in his swimming pool in Athens last autumn, shortly after joining Panathinaikos. Baldock, known as 'Starman', was a big favourite at Bramall Lane who twice played an integral part in helping United win promotion to the top tier. 'We've tried not to use George's death as a motivational tool,' Wilder said last week. 'But his spirit has been with us on the journey. His old shirt has always been in our dressing room, home or away, this season. As a player, and a person as well, George was incredibly driven, always wanting to be the best.' United's hopes of holding their own at elite level were boosted in December when five financially challenged years under the ownership of Saudi Arabia's Prince Abdullah were ended by a takeover. It placed a club relegated from the Premier League last spring under the control of COH Sports, a US-based consortium that immediately extended Wilder's contract and bankrolled seven January signings including Ben Brereton Díaz, Tom Cannon and Hamza Choudhury. They benefit from operating in front of Michael Cooper, one of the second tier's most reliable goalkeepers. Wilder describes the quiet Devonian as 'a librarian rather than a rockstar' but 'extremely effective'. Sunderland, semi-final losers to Luton, with Lockyer on the scoresheet, two years ago, lack similar experience and finished the season 14 points behind Saturday's opponents. Only two of the Sunderland XI that started the second leg of the semi-final against Coventry were aged over 25 but the squad bristles with the youthful verve and fearlessness epitomised by the 17-year-old Chris Rigg and 19-year-old Jobe Bellingham. It also contains the gamechanging skills of the Roma loanee playmaker Enzo Le Fée who, from the age of 10, was mentored through a troubled childhood by Le Bris. Wilder is suitably wary yet undaunted. 'Sunderland have plenty of energy, quality and personality,' he said. 'We need to be bang at it. This is one of the biggest games in world football and Wembley is not a place for losers. But we know how to win.' As Le Bris addressed reporters in Sunderland's training ground on Thursday, a BBC radio commentator presented him with an elegant ribboned cake box containing a batch of the pink slices that remind the Breton of his favourite French patisseries. A manager noted for his capacity to create powerful connectivity and build strong bonds seemed touched by this good luck gift but those traybakes will taste infinitely better if it is mission accomplished on Saturday. 'When I first met with the players last summer, and it was here, in this room, I asked them: 'What is this season's purpose?'' Le Bris recalled. 'They said: 'We want promotion' – and here we are. We don't know the future so, when you have an opportunity like this, it's important to catch it.'
