Sports
Usyk vacates WBO heavyweight title | The Express Tribune
LONDON:
Oleksandr Usyk has relinquished his WBO heavyweight title after informing the governing body he would not proceed with a mandatory defence against Britain’s Fabio Wardley, the World Boxing Organization said on Monday.
The WBO said it received “formal communication” from the Ukrainian’s team and confirmed the 38-year-old had “elected to relinquish the title after thoughtful consideration.” Wardley, 30, is expected to be elevated to WBO heavyweight champion following Usyk’s decision, according to Sky Sports.
Usyk holds the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles, having regained the latter belt in December when he stopped Britain’s Daniel Dubois to restore his undisputed status.
He first became four-belt undisputed champion in May 2024 by beating Tyson Fury, before vacating the IBF crown the following month due to mandatory obligations linked to a rematch. WBO president Gustavo Olivieri paid tribute to Usyk in an emotional statement, calling him “a champion of champions”.
“The WBO extends its profound respect, admiration, and gratitude to Oleksandr Usyk, an undefeated, two-division WBO undisputed world champion,” Olivieri said. “His career stands as one of the most extraordinary and historic of the modern boxing era.”
The WBO added that Usyk had exemplified “every right, privilege and honour associated with the WBO Super Champion distinction. “We accept and respect his decision to relinquish the WBO heavyweight super championship,” it said.
“This is not a farewell but – as expressed by his team – a respectful pause. The doors of the WBO will always remain open to Oleksandr Usyk and his team.” Usyk won the WBO belt in 2021 when he defeated Anthony Joshua, later adding the WBC title by beating Fury.
He defended the WBO crown four times during his reign. In July, the WBO ordered negotiations for a mandatory defence against its interim champion Joseph Parker, giving both camps 30 days to reach a deal before a purse bid.
Parker, who won the interim title last year against Zhilei Zhang and retained it in February by stopping Martin Bakole, remained the organisation’s official challenger at the time.
Sports
Transfer rumors, news: Pulisic will wait until signing new Milan contract
AC Milan forward Christian Pulisic is waiting to see how the club fare this season before signing a new contract, while Barcelona are looking for reinforcements at left back, right back and on the wing. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.
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TRENDING RUMORS
– AC Milan forward Christian Pulisic has yet to sign a new contract and is keen to wait until the club have sealed qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League before he commits, according to Calciomercato. Pulisic, 27, has a deal which expires in 2027 (with an option to extend by a year) and the United States international has been linked with a return to the Premier League (after his spell with Chelsea) at either Manchester United or Aston Villa.
– Barcelona are considering signing Bayer Leverkusen‘s Alejandro Grimaldo in the summer as they look to strengthen at left back, reports Mundo Deportivo. Barcelona academy star Alejandro Balde, 22, has impressed, but Gerard Martín and Jofre Torrents haven’t made the leap required to challenge him for a starting spot. The Blaugrana could also look at a right back, with Internazionale‘s Denzel Dumfries, Al Hilal‘s João Cancelo and Crystal Palace‘s Daniel Muñoz all linked. Meanwhile, Sport claims that FC Cologne winger Said El Mala is on their radar at around €30 million after he recorded four goals and two assists in 10 Bundesliga appearances this season.
– Eintracht Frankfurt left back Nathaniel Brown is on Manchester City‘s shortlist, says Bild. Brown, 22, made his senior debut for the Germany national team in October and has impressed in the Bundesliga this season after joining the club from FC Nürnberg in 2024. City are looking for competition for Nico O’Reilly and Rayan Aït-Nouri on the left side of defense.
– Roma want to sign Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee on loan, but the Red Devils want to include a clause to make the deal permanent for €30 million, reports Corriere dello Sport. AC Milan would also be interested in a deal for the 24-year-old Netherlands international and if they get involved then Roma could turn their attention to Nottingham Forest‘s Arnaud Kalimuendo, Colgone’s Said El Mala, or could activate the €7m release clause for Racing Santander’s Jeremy Arevalo.
– Juventus have joined Manchester City and Real Madrid in the race to sign Elche midfielder Rodrigo Mendoza, as reported by Tuttosport, which describes him as “the emerging midfielder of Spanish football.” Mendoza, 29, has been scouted by City and Madrid for some time, with a possible alternative for Juve coming in the form of Lille‘s Ayyoub Bouaddi, 18, especially as the two clubs have a positive relationship.
EXPERT TAKE
ESPN’s Barcelona correspondent Sam Marsden on their transfer plans.
It is no secret within the club that Barcelona sporting director Deco has been monitoring the full back market for some time. On the right, Jules Koundé and Eric García have both been converted from center backs to play there, while on the left the options are mostly in-house products in Baldé, Martín and Torrents (Martín signed from local club Cornellà in 2023).
There have been times when Koundé and Baldé have both been best in class, but as Barça have toiled defensively this season, neither has excelled. That has once again forced Deco to consider Barça’s options, with sources explaining to ESPN that the club do not necessarily want to replace either player, but feel there is at the very least the need to create some internal competition.
On the left, Grimaldo is an obvious candidate given his links to Barça in the past. The Spain international will move into the final year of his contract with Bayer Leverkusen next summer, which should make him an affordable option — which is always an important factor when assessing Barça’s potential targets. That said, it will still depend on where the club prioritise spending next year as they also eye improvements in the middle of the back four and in attack.
And with no natural right back at the club — although Koundé is pretty established there now — it would not be a surprise if Barça move for two full backs next year, if the right options are available. In addition to the aforementioned Dumfries, Cancelo and Muñoz, ESPN has also previously revealed that Deco is a long-term fan of Monaco’s Vanderson, although he is currently injured.
OTHER RUMORS
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Laurens: Losing Gabriel Magalhães is the last thing Arsenal want
Julien Laurens gives an update on Gabriel Magalhães’ fitness as the Arsenal defender was taken off during Brazil’s game vs. Senegal.
– Liverpool could move for Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo to help replace Mohamed Salah while he is at the Africa Cup of Nations for Egypt in December and January. (Liverpool Echo)
– Juventus’ contract talks with Kenan Yildiz have stalled amid interest from Real Madrid, Arsenal and Chelsea. (Ekrem Konur)
– Lazio are considering Torino’s Ivan Ilic, Tromso’s Jens Hjerto-Dahl and a loan for Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo as they aim to bring in a midfielder in January. (Corriere dello Sport)
– Tottenham Hotspur could miss out on Ademola Lookman with Atalanta keen to keep the forward now that Ivan Juric has departed. (TEAMtalk)
– David Alaba has received offers from the Middle East but maintains hope that Real Madrid will opt to renew his contract for another year. (AS)
– Leeds United are showing an interest in AZ Alkmaar striker Troy Parrott, 22, who scored a hat trick against Hungary in the 96th minute to take the Republic of Ireland to the World Cup playoff. (TEAMtalk)
– Juventus are monitoring 20-year-old AS Monaco center back Christian Mawissa. (Nicolo Schira)
– Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest have joined Newcastle United in trying to sign midfielder James Garner, whose contract with Everton expires in the summer. (Football Insider)
– Aston Villa are looking at Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford ahead of January and feel that he could replace Emiliano Martinez. (Football Insider)
– Manchester United are working on a potential January move for Tyrell Malacia, who has interest from Saudi Arabia, Spain and Italy. (Rudy Galetti)
– Eintracht Frankfurt have a concrete interest in 18-year-old Werder Bremen center back Karim Coulibaly, who has also been the topic of enquiries from “all major German clubs.” (Florian Plettenberg)
– West Ham United striker Niklas Fullkrug isn’t interested in joining another Premier League club with Fulham having been linked. Wolfsburg and Hamburg are leading options but there is also interest from Italy. (TEAMtalk)
– Brentford have shown an interest in 20-year-old Lecce center back Tiago Gabriel. (Nicolo Schira)
– Manchester City are considering terminating Claudio Echeverri’s loan with Bayer Leverkusen. (Kicker)
– Juventus are considering letting goalkeeper Mattia Perin leave without replacing him, with Genoa thinking about making a move. (Tuttosport)
– Giuliano Simeone is one step away from renewing his Atletico Madrid contract until 2030. (Nicolo Schira)
– Sporting CP want Al Nassr winger Wesley and the Saudi Arabian club are open to a deal worth between €10 million-€15 million. (Ekrem Konur)
Sports
Cowboys dominate Raiders after honoring Marshawn Kneeland in first game since linebacker’s tragic death
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On a night filled with mourning, the Dallas Cowboys honored their late teammate Marshawn Kneeland with a victory.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer had his eyes closed, like many others on the sideline during the national anthem in Las Vegas, while wearing a T-shirt honoring Kneeland, the 24-year-old who died by suicide earlier this month. Schottenheimer and the Cowboys had not played since Nov. 3, as they were on their bye in Week 10, and the group had been hurting since the news broke three days after their “Monday Night Football” loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Both teams honored Kneeland with a moment of silence before kickoff, then the Cowboys went out and dominated the Las Vegas Raiders, 33-16, to get back in the win column this season.
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Head coach Brian Schottenheimer of the Dallas Cowboys stands on the sideline during the national anthem prior to the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Nov. 17, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)
The Cowboys’ defense, a unit that has struggled for much of the season, was flying all over the field and disrupting the Raiders’ offense led by quarterback Geno Smith, who was sacked four times in the team’s eighth loss of the season. Newcomer Quinnen Williams, acquired from the New York Jets before the NFL trade deadline, had 1.5 sacks in his Cowboys debut, while his defensive tackle counterpart Kenny Clark added half a sack. James Houston and Osa Odighizuwa each recorded a sack in the win.
On offense, Dak Prescott and company were cooking, as the veteran quarterback threw for four touchdowns and 268 yards.
It was an interesting start for Dallas, which went three-and-out to open the game on a series where both CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens didn’t see the field. ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters said on the “Monday Night Football” broadcast that it was a coach’s decision to sit the star receivers for the first drive.
Things didn’t get better when Maxx Crosby strip-sacked Prescott on the following drive, though the Cowboys’ defense was able to hold the Raiders to just three points on the turnover in their own red zone.

(L-R) George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys celebrate a touchdown during the second quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Nov. 17, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ian Maule/Getty Images)
When Pickens and Lamb entered the game after those series, they immediately went to work.
Both receivers scored touchdowns, with Lamb getting the first on an 18-yard strike from Prescott on the team’s third drive. Then, after Prescott found tight end Jake Ferguson, Pickens made multiple defenders miss on an impressive 37-yard catch-and-run into the end zone to blow the game open, 24-6, near the end of the first half.
Pickens had himself quite the game in Sin City, collecting nine receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown to lead all players in both categories. Lamb finished with five receptions for 66 yards, while Javonte Williams carried 22 times for 93 yards on the ground.
Meanwhile, Smith was pressured throughout but still managed to go 27-of-42 for 238 yards, with one touchdown pass to Tre Tucker in the fourth quarter. Tucker finished with four catches for 47 yards.
Tight end Brock Bowers did his best to spark the Raiders, catching seven of his 12 targets for 72 yards. But it was a pass-heavy approach all night, with rookie running back Ashton Jeanty getting just six carries for seven yards.

Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys warms up before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Nov. 17, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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In fact, the game-sealing play for Dallas came when the defense stopped Jeanty in the Raiders’ end zone for a safety. It was a 31-16 game with plenty of time left in the fourth quarter, but the Cowboys slammed the door from that point on.
The Cowboys, now 4-5-1, will continue to push forward despite the tragedy that shook their locker room. They’ll return home for an NFC East showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles next week at AT&T Stadium, where they hope to start a win streak.
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Sports
Caps start strong and then hold on tight to dethrone the Kings
Matt Roy scored early, Alex Ovechkin added his 903rd goal, and goalie Charlie Lindgren did the rest as Washington notched a 2-1 win at Capital One Arena.
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