CELEB NEWS Archives - Page 58 of 72

Tiger Woods has been named as the recipient of this year’s Bob Jones Award by the USGA.

The Bob Jones Award is the highest honor from the USGA that recognizes his commitment to sportsmanship and respect for golf’s traditions.

‘This award goes beyond playing performance, recognizing the lasting impact of one person’s journey that has forever changed the image and growth of golf,’ said Mike Whan, the CEO of the USGA.

‘There are very few who stand alongside Tiger Woods in terms of on-course accomplishments, and he is in a class of his own when it comes to the impact he has made on the game and future generations who will play it.’

Woods is used to being honored for his performances on the course, where he has won 15 majors among his 82 career victories on the PGA Tour.

The 48-year-old Woods was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2022, and he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Donald Trump in 2019.

Woods is a nine-time USGA champion, winning three straight U.S. Junior Amateurs, followed by three straight U.S. Amateurs, and then the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach (2000), Bethpage Black (2002) and Torrey Pines (2008).

‘Bob Jones was a pillar of our game because of the integrity with which he played it, and I’m truly humbled to receive the award that bears his name and join the many who have received it before me who continue his legacy,’ Woods said in a statement.

UPDATE ;LIV Golf star Phil Mickelson running out of time to achieve final Tiger Woods goal

Previous winners include Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, Mickey Wright and Ben Hogan, and former President George H.W. Bush.

CELEB NEWS

Absent From Gymnastics World, Simone Biles Punches Debut Ticket for American Dream

Simone Biles commands a formidable presence in the realm of gymnastics and is celebrated for her unmatched accomplishments and revolutionary routines. Boasting an unprecedented six All-Around World Championship titles and an astonishing tally of 37 medals—23 of which are gold—she solidifies her status as the most decorated gymnast in the annals of World Championships history.

Beyond the confines of the gym, Simone Biles extends her influence well beyond athletic prowess. Her impact reverberates across society, underscored by her distinguished accolades such as the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She’s been heralded on TIME’s 100 Most Influential People and Forbes’ 30 Under 30 lists. However, this year, despite her absence from performances like the Winter Cup as she prepares for the Paris Olympics, Simone Biles remains a beacon of influence. With anticipation building, her upcoming debut on this season’s tour promises to captivate audiences once again.

The Gold Over America Tour, alternatively known as Athleta Presents Gold Over America Tour, returns with a thrilling addition: Simone Biles takes centre stage as the headline act. This highly anticipated tour aims to convey a powerful yet simple message: even the most celebrated athletes, like Biles, are everyday individuals. Alongside Biles, other renowned gymnasts such as Shilese Jones, Fred Richard, Melanie Johanna de Jesus dos Santos, and more will join forces.

The Gold Tour: A catalyst for gymnasts the world over

Gold Over America Tour will visit 30 cities nationwide. Also, it promises an exhilarating pop concert-style experience that’s brimming with energy and action. As the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris conclude, where Simone Biles will compete as a key player, the tour emerges as a thrilling extension of the Olympic spirit.

UPDATE ;Unfiltered Simone Biles Recalls Embarrassing Moment Of Gymnastics On World Leap Day

This “road to Paris” will notably pass through Fort Worth from May 30 to June 2, during the 2024 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships at Dickies Arena. As tickets go on sale, this event is not just a showcase of gymnastic prowess but also a pivotal moment to crown national champions.

BOXING

Terence Crawford gives big update on whether he’d fight Canelo Alvarez

Terence Crawford’s next move is still unknown.

Terence Crawford has been linked to multiple fights since defeating Errol Spence last year, with the most intriguing one being a bout with Canelo Alvarez.

Crawford became the undisputed world champion at welterweight by beating Spence, but the majority of fights he’s been mentioned in occur in bigger weight classes.

With Crawford atop of most pound-for-pound lists, a fight with Canelo would see two of the sport’s best fighters go at it.

The Nebraska man would have to jump up three weight classes to secure the bout, but he’s got no issue doing that after admitting he’d be open to testing himself against the Mexican icon.

“Me and Canelo have never talked about fighting,” said Crawford when speaking to FightHype regarding the contest.

Boxing Pound-for-Pound list: Junto Nakatani hits the top 10, Tank Davis out

Junto Nakatani hits the pound-for-pound list after another world title win, and it’s Gervonta “Tank” Davis falling off to make room.

Scott Christ

(1) Naoya Inoue, (2) Terence Crawford, (3) Oleksandr Usyk, (4) Dmitry Bivol, (5) Artur Beterbiev, (6) Devin Haney, (7) Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, (8) Junto Nakatani, (9) Kenshiro Teraji, (10) Canelo Alvarez

I’ve had some changes in heart the last couple months. Last month, I dropped Tank Davis a few spots. This month, Tank Davis is out. My issue is split. One thing is Tank just isn’t doing anything, and frankly shows no ambition to go after the best fights he can. Hey, that’s his prerogative, and if this were the dollar-for-dollar list, he’s top tier. But it isn’t. Enough coverage of boxing is forced to be about the short-sighted carny business aspect.

For once, I just want to talk about what’s happening in the ring.

And that’s where you get to the other stuff: Guys like Bam Rodriguez, Junto Nakatani, and Kenshiro Teraji are just going out there and doing it. You could argue Canelo Alvarez is slipping into the current Tank territory, but Canelo has far greater history and accomplishments, too, and that’s what keeps him hanging on at No. 10 for me, for now.

But Canelo’s on relatively thin ice, too. I think Tank is a tremendous talent, I think Canelo is still an outstanding fighter, but there are other people out there who are raising their stock while these guys sit stagnant.

This is also why Terence Crawford has slipped to No. 2 for me. I kind of had (and have) Inoue and Crawford as 1A and 1B in my mind, because I think Crawford is genuinely great. But so is Inoue, and Inoue is the guy out there fighting. Inoue will fight again on May 6, making it three fights since last July, the last time Crawford fought, and the only time he fought in 2023. So if one or the other deserves a tiebreaker, I’m going with Inoue at this point.

Wil Esco

(1) Terence Crawford, (2) Naoya Inoue, (3) Oleksandr Usyk, (4) Dmitry Bivol, (5) Artur Beterbiev, (6) Jaron “Boots” Ennis, (7) Canelo Alvarez, (8) Devin Haney, (9) Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, (10) Kenshiro Teraji

Been giving this some thought and while I do think Gervonta Davis is an extremely talented fighter, I just can’t continually give him a pass considering his general level of opposition, with no real desire to even contend for the major world titles which would entail the biggest threats to him. He drops off and Kenshiro Teraji is in.

John Hansen

(1) Naoya Inoue, (2) Terence Crawford, (3) Oleksandr Usyk, (4) Dmitry Bivol, (5) Artur Beterbiev, (6) Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, (7) Devin Haney, (8) Kenshiro Teraji, (9) David Benavidez, (10) Junto Nakatani

Real bummer losing Usyk vs Fury from the February calendar. Not a lot else to shake up the standings this month. Nakatani looked good, but I moved him in last month to look clever before the other guys did, but still hopefully early enough that people won’t remember Stumberg did it first out of us all.

So, no changes for me, but I’m curious to see how many colleagues keep Canelo in their top 10 this month. Justice for David Benavidez!

Patrick Stumberg

(1) Naoya Inoue, (2) Terence Crawford, (3) Oleksandr Usyk, (4) Canelo Alvarez, (5) Dmitry Bivol, (6) Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, (7) Artur Beterbiev, (8) Junto Nakatani, (9) Devin Haney, (10) Kenshiro Teraji

What did I say? What did I say about Junto Nakatani?

In all seriousness, torching Santiago like that went above even my expectations. There’s no doubt in my mind that, given the opportunity, Nakatani will run roughshod over all his fellow bantamweight champs.

RELATED ;Gervonta Davis fires back at Shakur Stevenson’s reaction to Devin Haney sparring footage in deleted tweet

As for the rest, we’re probably not going to see much movement for the next couple of months unless Ryan Garcia somehow flips the script on Devin Haney in April. Kosei Tanaka’s getting close to the fringe, but he’ll need a few more good wins before I’m ready to rank him with his countrymen.

Lewis Watson

(1) Naoya Inoue, (2) Terence Crawford, (3) Oleksandr Usyk, (4) Devin Haney, (5) Artur Beterbiev, (6) Dmitry Bivol, (7) Canelo Alvarez, (8) Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, (9) Kenshiro Teraji, (10) Gervonta Davis

No movement in February in the month that we should have seen Fury vs Usyk. Nakatani was the star of the month and is the closest to breaking into the top 10. Junto looks a special fighter, underlining that in his pummeling of Santiago last week and at 26 has the world at his feet.

BOXING

50 Cent Targets Floyd Mayweather in New Shade, Amid Diddy Assault Allegations Buzz

50 Cent cleverly revives his long-standing feud with Mayweather, using his novel’s promotion to comment on literacy, against the backdrop of Diddy’s legal troubles.

Once again, 50 Cent has taken to social media to reignite an old feud with Floyd Mayweather, coupling the promotion of his new fiction novel with a fresh jab at the boxing champion’s literacy. This development comes amid swirling discussions surrounding Diddy’s sexual assault allegations, adding another layer to the ongoing drama in the music and sports entertainment spheres.

In a clever marketing move, 50 Cent, also known as Curtis Jackson, used the announcement of his debut novel, The Accomplice, to take a swipe at Mayweather. Via an Instagram post, he made a tongue-in-cheek remark about ensuring the simultaneous release of the audiobook, hinting at Mayweather’s alleged illiteracy. This dig is part of a long-standing feud between the two, with 50 Cent periodically mocking Mayweather’s reading ability. The post not only highlighted Jackson’s upcoming literary venture but also teased a related movie project, all the while subtly reigniting his rivalry with Mayweather.

Mayweather’s Controversial Podcast Appearance

The timing of 50 Cent’s jab coincides with Mayweather’s recent appearance on The Pivot Podcast, where he refrained from criticizing Diddy over recent sexual assault allegations. Mayweather’s comments, suggesting a reluctance to ‘stomp’ on Diddy due to the latter being a ‘Black man’ and emphasizing the importance of minding one’s own business, have sparked controversy. This stance, especially coming from a figure like Mayweather, has added fuel to the ongoing discussions surrounding accountability and celebrity culture.

Diddy’s Legal Troubles and Industry Impact

Diddy, facing several sexual assault allegations, has become a topic of intense debate and scrutiny. Despite settling a lawsuit with Cassie, he continues to battle legal challenges in New York. These allegations have not only affected Diddy’s personal and professional life but have also prompted broader conversations about the music industry’s handling of such serious accusations. The situation is further complicated by the varied reactions from other celebrities, including 50 Cent’s provocative commentary.

The feud between 50 Cent and Floyd Mayweather, though personal and at times petty, sheds light on larger issues within celebrity culture, including how allegations of misconduct are navigated and discussed publicly. As both men continue to wield significant influence, their actions and words ripple through their respective industries, prompting us to reflect on the nature of celebrity feuds and the real-world issues they often intersect with. With no resolution in sight, the saga between Jackson and Mayweather continues to captivate and provoke, underscoring the complex interplay between personal vendettas and public discourse.

BOXING

50 CENT TROLLS FLOYD MAYWEATHER WHILE PROMOTING UPCOMING NOVEL

50 Cent has once again stirred controversy by revisiting his past criticism of boxing champion Floyd Mayweather, this time doubling down on allegations of illiteracy.

Shortly after announcing his upcoming debut fiction novel on Friday (March 1), Fif turned to Instagram to promote the book, The Accomplice, and in the same breath slyly threw shade at his longtime rival.

“I have no beef with anyone, I even made sure the audiobook comes out at the same time so champ won’t feel left out. [shrug emoji] GLG [traffc light emoji],” he wrote alongside a snap featuring the book’s cover.

“GreenLightGang [film emoji] The accomplice Movie coming soon,” he added also revealing there’s a film in the pipeline, all the wile tagging his spirit brands Branson Cognac and Le Chemin du Roi.

The feud, spanning back as far as 2019, saw 50 Cent poking fun at Mayweather’s alleged illiteracy issues with a written letter he shared on Instagram.

It seemingly reignited this week after Mayweather’s comments on Diddy’s sexual assault allegations.

The retired boxer appeared on The Pivot Podcast in late February where he refused to condemn the Bad Boy boss over accusations he raped four woman, including his ex-girlfriend Cassie.

“I’m not gonna speak bad about P. Diddy,” Mayweather said. “‘Cause he still a Black man. Mistakes happen. And I can’t say if it is or not a mistake, but things happen in life. And P. Diddy’s business is P. Diddy’s business. It’s not my job or anybody else’s job to go on the internet and stomp him and kick a man while he’s down.

JUST IN ;Devin Haney takes break from attacking Ryan Garcia to call out hater Floyd Mayweather

He quickly settled the lawsuit filed against him by Cassie but is still facing three suits in the state of New York.

BOXING

Anthony Joshua tells John Fury ‘I’ve watched everything you’ve said’ as they meet ahead of Francis Ngannou fight

Anthony Joshua has bumped into John Fury ahead of his upcoming fight.

AJ will take on former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in the main event of ‘Knockout Chaos’ in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Friday night.

Tyson Fury’s opinionated father is in the Middle East to support his son Roman, who will look to stretch his perfect professional boxing record to 4-0 in an undercard fight against Martin Svarc.

‘Big John’ has never shied away from backing his WBC heavyweight champion son to beat Joshua and every other big man in boxing.

However, Fury Sr has always enjoyed a friendly relationship with AJ, so much so that ‘The Gypsy King’ jokingly told Joshua to sever ties with his old man in December 2022.

Of course, their inevitable meeting in Saudi Arabia was a friendly one.

The two men embraced after bumping into each other before Joshua kicked off their conversation by making the 59-year-old worry about what he’d said in recent interviews.

“How are you? I have watched everything you have said,” Joshua told Fury, who responded with an awkward laugh before pointing out the size of the 6ft 6in KO artist.

He joked: “He is a f****** big fella, isn’t he?”

RELATED ;Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou took on punch machine challenge to test elite heavyweight power

Joshua has an MMA KO merchant to take care of, while Fury is trying to make another boxing superstar out of one of his children.

BOXING

Anthony Joshua ranks the greatest heavyweights ever and does NOT put Tyson Fury in the top tier… but where does he place Francis Ngannou ahead of their Saudi showdown?

Anthony Joshua ranked heavyweight boxing stars from past and present, but there was no space for Tyson Fury amongst the top tier of previous champions.

The 34-year-old is attempting to put himself in the frame for another world title shot when he fights Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia on Friday, March 8 and has been nominating his pick of the best boxers in the history of the division.

Joshua is a former two-time world champion himself and wants to become a three-time record belt holder by facing the eventual winner of Tyson Fury’s clash against Oleksandr Usyk.

Ahead of his showdown with former UFC star Ngannou, Joshua was presented with a list of heavyweights and asked to place them into five separate groups ranging from GOAT [greatest of all time] to sparring partner.

The Englishman placed a total of seven fighters in the GOAT category while others mixed in the champion, world level and mid level rankings.

An honest and modest Joshua started by immediately thrusting former heavyweight superstar Muhammad Ali into the top tier who was later joined by Derek Chisora, Evander Holyfield, Wladimir Klitschko, Joe Lewis, Mike Tyson and Rocky Marciano.

UPDATE NEWS ;Anthony Joshua famous TV show punch power record smashed by Francis Ngannou

David Haye, Dillian Whyte and Daniel Dubois were also place in the same group.

A host of other heavyweight contenders including one of Joshua’s most recent opponent Robert Helenius and fellow Brit Joe Joyce were put into the mid level tier.

BOXING

Floyd Mayweather Reveals Only Way Canelo Alvarez vs. David Benavidez Is Possible

What else can David Benavidez do? Can he ever challenge Canelo Alvarez, despite being the interim champion for almost two years? Floyd Mayweather believes the Mexican fighter needs to do what he did to bag his dream fight.

‘The Mexican Monster’ has decided to quit the waiting game and move up to 175 and challenge for the belt. He will exchange punches with Oleksandr Gvozdyk, with the winner expected to challenge the victor of Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol for all the marbles. While Alvarez plans his Cinco de Mayo fight, Benavidez prepares for the fresh challenge ahead. But will their paths cross? Will Benavidez, at 28-0, be “the man”?

Floyd Mayweather explains what David Benavidez needs to do

Speaking with Fight Hype, Mayweather touched upon the way the 27-year-old fighter needs to keep on putting opponent after opponent on the canvas to have his way. Waiting for his turn is the mantra that the former world champion has given Benavidez. Floyd said, “If David Benavidez keeps beating fighter after fighter, and champion after champion, eventually he’ll be the man.”

“And then everybody will want to fight him. Just like me, you have to wait your turn. David Benavidez is a helluva fighter. All David has to do is keep going out there and beating guys, staying focused, and then he’ll be the guy,” Mayweather added.

UPDATE ;Ryan Garcia Risks Floyd Mayweather’s Wrath by Sharing Clip of Devin Haney Getting Stunned by Gervonta Davis

Currently, Alvarez is busy planning his Cinco de Mayo fight as he screens through names to defend his undisputed crown. But there appear to be no concrete reports as of now about whom he will be fighting. Meanwhile, Benavidez is breaking a sweat in training to prepare for his light heavyweight debut.

BOXING

Francis Ngannou told five things he must do against Anthony Joshua in mega-fight