Latest news with #champion
The Sun
2 hours ago
- General
- The Sun
Mike McCallum dead at 68: Boxing legend dubbed ‘The Bodysnatcher dies after falling ill and pulling car off the road
BOXING icon Mike McCallum has died at the age of 68. Known as "The Bodysnatcher," McCallum won world title belts across three different weight categories. 1 THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..
ABC News
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Jai Opetaia to defend IBF, Ring cruiserweight world titles against Claudio Squeo
When Jai Opetaia goes to work next week he will be carrying on the family business he joined at the age of eight. A fourth generation boxer on his dad's side and third generation on his mum's, the IBF and Ring magazine cruiserweight champion grew up in the boxing ring — literally. His father Tapu is still his coach. "I didn't have a choice really," Opetaia said. "It was just something that was passed down to me." He won his first amateur fight as an eight-year-old and has not looked back. At 16 he made the national team for the London Games, becoming the youngest Olympic boxer in Australia's history. He credits that experience — a teenager fighting against grown men at heavyweight — for developing his technique, skill and fight IQ. "They were 10 times stronger than me," Opetaia said. "They would have thrown me around like a rag doll but I had greater boxing ability." Opetaia captured the world title in 2022, fighting nine of 12 rounds with a badly-broken jaw to beat Mairis Briedis in a bloody war. Since then he has defended his belts five times, winning four of those contests by brutal knockout. The 29-year-old boasts an undefeated 27-0 record and is now regarded as one of the most devastating power punchers in the sport. But despite his fearsome reputation among boxing fans and his status as Australia's best pound-for-pound boxer he is far from a household name. That is because in the brash world of professional boxing Opetaia flies under the radar, preferring to let his performances in the ring do the talking. "I'm not trying to be anyone I'm not," Opetaia said. Next Sunday he defends his title against little-known challenger Claudio Squeo at Broadbeach, a few minutes down the road from the Surfers Paradise gym where he trains. While also undefeated, Squeo enters as a 26-1 underdog having never fought outside of his native Italy. Still, the June 8 fight is a risky proposition. An upset loss could jeopardise a blockbuster unification bout with Mexican Gilberto Ramirez who holds the WBA and WBO belts, slated for the under card of the Canelo Alvarez vs Terrence Crawford super fight in September. For Opetaia it is the opportunity of a lifetime and a chance to cement his place as one of the biggest names in the sport. "For someone from our neck of the woods, an Australian, a Pacific Islander, to be on one of those cards fighting for a world title — that's the definition of hard work," he said. "For young Australian fighters to see people like me up there fighting on the biggest cards in the world, it's special." But he knows there is no guarantee. It is a fight Opetaia has been chasing for more than a year, one he says Ramirez has repeatedly turned down. "He wants to get paid, I want more belts. If you're the best I feel like the money will come, all you have got to do is keep winning. "No-one else is the best in the cruiserweight division until they beat me."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Scripps National Spelling Bee crowns new champ
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WSAV) — How do you spell success? For the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion, it's spelled 'éclaircissement.' The word is French and means 'the clearing up of something obscure: enlightenment.' 13-year-old Faizan Zaki from Allen, Texas, beat out eight others in the final round before successfully spelling it to win. 'It was just so amazing. I mean when I heard the word, I instantly knew it. I recognized it was from French and when they said it was correct, I was just so elated and happy that I got it right.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
Defending champion Alcaraz labors into fourth round of the French Open
PARIS — Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached the fourth round of the French Open after laboring past Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the Friday night session. The second-seeded Spaniard had never before played Dzumhur, a 33-year-old Bosnian who had never been past the third round at any major tournament.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Watch as 13-year-old wins US National Spelling Bee crown with 15-letter word
Watch the moment a 13-year-old wins the US National Spelling Bee crown by correctly spelling a 15-letter word. Faizan Zaki from Texas was given the French-derived word 'eclaircissement', meaning enlightenment, to spell at the final of the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday (29 May). After pretending to type each letter on an imaginary keyboard, the 13-year-old fell to his knees with joy when he was declared the winner. Zaki, who takes home the $52,500 (£38,976) prize, came in second place last year at the competition when he stumbled during a lightning round tiebreaker.
