When Daniel Dubois looks across the ring in Wroclaw on Saturday, he would do well to focus on the shark-eyed gaze glaring through him and not the sounds coming from the legions of Ukrainians in the stands – those baying for his systematic dismantling. Because if Oleksandr Usyk specialises in anything, it is systematic dismantling. That is what his travelling fans will be hoping to see when they cross the border from their war-torn homeland to Poland, where their idol defends his gold and his country’s honour this weekend. That is a lot of motivation in the corner of Usyk – the unbeaten southpaw, the unified world heavyweight champion, the Olympic gold medalist, and the only undisputed cruiserweight title holder of his era. And if that motivation were not enough, Usyk will enter the Tarczynski Arena fueled by residual frustration from his failed fight with Tyson Fury. • Get all the latest Usyk vs Dubois betting sites’ offers In an ideal world, Usyk, now closer to 37 than 36, would have fought the WBC champion three months ago; an undisputed king would have been crowned and a rematch might have even been scheduled by now. Instead, Fury is two months out from a bizarre bout with ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou, who is making his professional boxing debut and is not eligible to win the Briton’s WBC belt; and Usyk is on the cusp of a defence against mandatory challenger Dubois. Then again, in an ideal world, Usyk’s country would not be under continued attacks from Russia. That might at least mean that the champion would be staging this defence against Dubois in Ukraine, rather than in Poland. Reality dictates, however, that Usyk’s fans will journey to Wroclaw in search of some brief escapism. Usyk, who volunteered on the frontline in Ukraine last year, knows the responsibility and opportunity he possesses this weekend. He was aware of it when he fought Anthony Joshua – for the second time – last summer, and that was apparent when he collapsed to his knees after securing victory, wrapped in a Ukrainian flag and soaked in tears and sweat. Such emotions will only be heightened on Saturday, in front of the fans who had to watch from a distance when Usyk outpointed Joshua in August. On Saturday, Usyk will again stand across from a British heavyweight, one with formidable power but whose technical abilities and speed do not, in all honesty, measure up to the former cruiserweight’s. The enigmatic Usyk remains a unicorn at heavyweight, balletic in movement but brutal in his sheer efficiency of output. Then there are the angles he creates, which risk leaving Dubois stupefied like a primary school student in a university geometry class. Believe it or not, that is not actually meant as an indictment of Dubois, who has more than the puncher’s chance that some have suggested; however, the truth is that the 25-year-old has not fought an opponent close to Usyk’s calibre, let alone one with this unique of a skillset. Dubois has achieved 18 of his 19 pro wins via knockout, while his sole defeat came in 2020, at the hands of Joe Joyce – hands which battered Dubois’s eye socket to the point of fracture. Dubois hit the canvas that night and did the same in his last fight – three times in fact, all in the first round. On that occasion, against Kevin Lerena in December, it was Dubois’s knee that betrayed him, but the Briton managed to fight through the injury to stop his opponent in Round 3. Fighting unsteadily on one leg, Dubois somehow conjured the power to drop Lerena with a right cross, before finishing him with a barrage of hooks and uppercuts against the ropes. The positive to be taken from that outing is that a healthy Dubois wields even greater power; the question, though, is whether Dubois will stay healthy across 12 rounds with Usyk, who looks well poised to exploit the younger fighter’s vulnerabilities. When the pair came face to face at a pre-fight press conference in July, Dubois vowed to unleash “hell”. Usyk, meanwhile, recited a poem and a rap. That might have foreshadowed the dynamic of this main event rather well: Dubois, as his coach Don Charles has admitted, must make this a chaotic affair. In contrast, Usyk will likely employ his usual artistry to undo his challenger and put Dubois himself through hell. Agonised by the grave matter of war in his homeland and the more trivial factor of frustration with Fury, Usyk will be riled up in Wroclaw. If any fighter can master that emotion and harness it wisely, it is Usyk. Read More Usyk vs Dubois live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend The misleading narrative of Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois KSI vs Tommy Fury press conference features flipped tables and thrown cake as Logan Paul and Dillon Danis get heated Underdog Daniel Dubois looks back in bid to take big step forward Daniel Dubois misses Ryanair flight ahead of Usyk fight Shock Daniel Dubois win is only chance of undisputed fight – David Haye

A former Premier League referee says he failed to correct a mistake while on video-review duty for a match last season to spare the on-field official “any more grief.”

Iga Swiatek wants to win the U.S. Open again, of course

Cameron Carter-Vickers is set to miss the United States’ next four matches after being ruled out for two months by Scottish club Celtic because of a hamstring injury

Defending heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk has weighed in 5.6 kilograms (12.3 pounds) lighter than British challenger Daniel Dubois ahead of their title fight on Saturday

Tottenham are set to have James Maddison fit for Saturday’s trip to Bournemouth, but head coach Ange Postecoglou has fired a warning to the players on the fringes of his bloated squad. Maddison trained for the first time this week on Friday after he sat out a number of sessions with a sore ankle sustained during last weekend’s impressive 2-0 win over Manchester United. Spurs have handed minutes to 18 members of their squad during the opening two Premier League games of the season but face a busy final week of the summer transfer window, with outgoings a priority for the club. Offers will be listened to for former captain Hugo Lloris, Djed Spence, Eric Dier, Japhet Tanganga, Sergio Reguilon and Tanguy Ndombele while Davinson Sanchez, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Bryan Gil could exit if the right bid comes in. Youngsters Alfie Devine and Troy Parrott have departed on loan to Port Vale and Excelsior Rotterdam respectively during the past 24 hours, but Tottenham still have 31 players aged 21 or over and will need to submit a list of 25 to the Premier League on September 13. “At the moment you can see by doing the maths, we have got too many players,” Postecoglou said. “In terms of when we submit our final list, there will be guys here who won’t be on that list if nothing changes so I am pretty sure that will change. “From now until the end of the window I am sure there will be some movement.” Postecoglou was asked specifically if Lloris could remain at the club despite the Frenchman stating back in June his desire for a new challenge. The Australian did not completely rule it out but referenced the fact Guglielmo Vicario is his number one and Fraser Forster will be his back-up goalkeeper. He added: “You can’t just have any number of players you want. There is a list and it is unlikely we will have three goalkeepers on our final Premier League list.” Spurs look set to be boosted by Maddison’s presence for the Saturday lunchtime kick-off at Bournemouth despite fears of a potential injury lay-off. The summer signing left Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on crutches and in a protective boot last Saturday night after he took a blow to his ankle during a challenge with Manchester United’s Antony in the second-half. But Postecoglou said: “Madders trained today unrestricted. We’ll see how he pulls up but at this stage it looks like he will be available. We’ll assess how he feels but, yeah, he trained. “I think it was the incident when (Cristian) Romero got brought down. He had a shot and it was a block-tackle. His ankle was a bit sore after that but the medical team looked after him. “There was no real push to have him available. It was down to him. “People would have seen him in a moon boot but it was more precautionary. He has felt good and probably could have trained yesterday. “He trained today unrestricted, so obviously nothing serious.”

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has called for the Saudi Pro League transfer window to close in line with Europe’s – but refused to rule out selling players beyond September 1. Some of football’s top names have made the move to Saudi Arabia this summer as PIF investment in four of the country’s top clubs has allowed for a vast increase in transfer fees. Arsenal host Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday and, while the Gunners have not lost any of their squad to Saudi, their visitors will be without talismanic forward Aleksandar Mitrovic, who moved to Al-Hilal last week. Head coach Marco Silva rejected overtures from the Gulf before the start of the new season while winger Willian was also unsettled by transfer speculation. The Premier League window closes next Friday but Saudi clubs will be able to sign and register new players until September 20, something Arteta believes needs to be addressed. Asked if the extra two and a half weeks to conclude business was fair, the Spaniard replied: “No, because it is a competitor now. No, I think we have to change that.” Pushed on whether the Pro League deadline should fall in line with Europe, Arteta continued: “That is my opinion, yes. “It is another competitor and it brings other opportunities for players, for managers and for people that work in the industry to decide. “In the end, we are free to decide when clubs, players or whoever has to agree to something, you have to have the intention to go and find agreements, that is why there are contracts. It is another competitor and it brings other opportunities for players, for managers and for people that work in the industry to decide Mikel Arteta on the Saudi Pro League transfer window “If people agree to go it is because someone agrees to go there but that someone agreed to sell him, so it goes two or three different ways.” No Arsenal players have headed to the Middle East this summer but there has been reported interest from Saudi clubs in both Gabriel Magalhaes and Thomas Partey. While he wants to see a uniform transfer deadline, Arteta stopped short of saying Arsenal will refuse to sell players beyond the Premier League’s window closing on September 1. “Well, the principle would be that (we would not consider offers),” he said. “But I cannot make the decision for the club. It is a lot of people involved in that process and they would have for sure a say, the ownership, would do the same. “It would be on the table like with any offer and you have to look at it. The only thing I’m saying is it’s not ideal because they are a competitor.” Asked if losing a player after the window closed would be destabilising, he added: “Yes, very much. Yes.” Arsenal welcome their London rivals having won their first two league games and could welcome Gabriel Jesus back from knee surgery to play a part on Saturday. The Brazil forward went under the knife for a minor procedure before the start of the campaign but Arteta is hopeful he could feature against Fulham. “It was a big blow for him after the pre-season he had to have another surgery. He’s looking really sharp. He trained the full week good. He’s ready to go, that is great,” he added. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live ‘This is unacceptable’ – Alexia Putellas after Luis Rubiales refuses to resign Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag avoids questions about Mason Greenwood Kevin Sinfield says England’s pre-World Cup setbacks are bringing squad together

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Luis Rubiales refused to resign from his role as president of the Spanish FA and blamed World Cup star Jenni Hermoso for his kiss in a wild press conference. Rubiales has been widely criticised after kissing Hermoso on the mouth in the aftermath of Spain’s first-ever Women’s World Cup victory. Video later emerged of Rubiales grabbing his crotch in celebration in close proximity to the Queen of Spain and her 16-year-old daughter. Speaking to media on Friday, when he had been expected to resign and with the media briefed on his replacement, Rubiales doubled down on his position saying that he would fight to clear his name in court if necessary and calling out a “false feminism” witchhunt for the criticism. He loudly told those gathered: “No I am not going to resign,” and reiterated himself a number of times, while some of the audience, including controversial Spain women’s head coach Jorge Vilda and Spain’s men’s head coach Luis de la Fuente, applauded his statement. It was a bizarre press conference. He defended the kiss, saying: “Jenni was the one who lifted me up. I told her to ‘forget about the penalty’ and I said to her ‘a little peck?’ and she said ‘OK’. It was a spontaneous kiss. Mutual, euphoric and consensual. That’s the key. “A consensual ‘peck’ is enough to get me out of here? I will fight until the end.” Hermoso herself said after the match, when asked about the kiss: “Er...no I did not like that,” and has released a statement along with her union Futpro calling for measures against Rubiales. However, the president added in his speech: “Whoever watches the video will see the desire in that kiss is the same as with one of my daughters. There is no desire or dominance. “It’s not what is being pushed in the media and feminism. The kiss was spontaneous, mutual and consensual.” In an even more strange turn of phrase, he said that a “social assassination was taking place here” and that “I am ready to be vilified to defend my ideals”. He added: “I apologise unreservedly but I don’t deserve this manhunt I have been suffering.” Rubiales added, on his actions in the box: “I want to apologise unreservedly for something that happened in the presidential box, when in a moment of euphoria I grabbed a part of my body,” he said. “Look, I got very excited and I lost control. I have to apologise to the royal family because it is a very unedifying gesture.” Yesterday, the 46-year-old was being described as “cornered” by those with knowledge of the situation, as large amounts of public criticism have led to three formal complaints over whether his behaviour constituted an infraction of Spain’s sports law, which sanctions against sexist acts. Fifa also opened its own investigation on Thursday and released the statement: “The events may constitute violations of article 13 paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code. The Fifa disciplinary committee will only provide further information on these disciplinary proceedings once it has issued a final decision on the matter. Fifa reiterates its unwavering commitment to respecting the integrity of all individuals and strongly condemns any behaviour to the contrary.” The sections of the disciplinary code referenced in the Fifa statement cover “offensive behaviour and violations of the principles of fair play”. A further dimension to the story is that it is now being seen as potentially influencing Spain’s World Cup bid for 2030, which Rubiales has been central to. Read More ‘This is unacceptable’ – Alexia Putellas after Luis Rubiales refuses to resign Jess Carter: Spanish FA president kissing midfielder ‘ruined’ celebration Fifa opens disciplinary proceedings against Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales Spanish soccer president faces general assembly amid reports he will resign for kissing a player Luis Rubiales resists calls to resign but walls are closing in on Spanish football president Spain boss Jorge Vilda appears to grab breast of female coach during World Cup final

World Cup winner Alexia Putellas says the current situation in Spanish football is “unacceptable” after Luis Rubiales refused to resign as FA president amid strong criticism of his behaviour at last weekend’s final in Sydney. The Spanish media had widely reported on Thursday evening that Rubiales was about to stand down at an extraordinary general assembly of the Spanish federation (RFEF) on Friday. FIFA had opened disciplinary proceedings against him on Thursday, after he grabbed his crotch in celebration of Spain’s victory over England despite being just metres away from Spain’s Queen Letizia and her teenage daughter in the stadium VIP area. He then kissed Spain midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips at the medal and trophy presentation, something she later admitted on social media she “didn’t like”. Rubiales apologised for his behaviour in the VIP area, but insisted in his speech on Friday that the Hermoso kiss was “spontaneous, mutual, euphoric and consensual”. He said he had been the target of a “social assassination” and repeatedly and emphatically stated “I will not resign”, words which drew applause from the gathered delegates. Rubiales’ defiant stance prompted fresh calls for the Spanish government to take action, while world players’ union FIFPRO said UEFA – for whom Rubiales is an executive committee member and vice-president – must open disciplinary proceedings. But perhaps the most damning response of all came from Barcelona star Putellas, who posted on X: “This is unacceptable. It’s over. With you my team-mate @Jennihermoso.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

World Cup winners Olga Carmona and Aitana Bonmatí have been nominated for the UEFA best player award in a wild week for Spanish women’s soccer

Cameras have caught the dramatic moment two buggies carrying 200m sprint semi-finalists to the track crashed into each other. The incident took place at the World Championships in Budapest, with American star Noah Lyles in one of the buggies that crashed. As the two collided, a volunteer fell out, but reportedly was unscathed by the incident. However, Jamaica's Andrew Hudson claims to have gotten glass in his eye as a result, and was struggling to see. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter