George Groves is waiting to learn whether his World Boxing Super Series final against Callum Smith in Saudi Arabia will be staged outside at a stadium or inside an arena.
The WBA super-middleweight champion has been intensifying his preparations for facing Smith since confirmation of the Sept. 28 bout, which will take place at the King Abdullah Sports City complex in Jeddah. Groves has been passed fit to fight having recovered from a career-threatening dislocated shoulder. The original fight was due to take place at a UK venue in July but had to be postponed after Groves suffered the injury in the semifinal win against Chris Eubank Jr.
An operation, which included screws being inserted into his shoulder joint, and his subsequent rehabilitation program mean Groves has already returned to sparring and is convinced he will be fully fit come fight night having previously feared he faced retiring in his prime.
The lengthy wait for a fight date has worked in Groves’ favor, allowing the 30-year-old the recovery time he required. It has also allowed World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) chiefs the chance to recompense Saudi Arabia with a top-level fight after the Murat Gassiev vs. Oleksandr Usyk title bout was moved from Jeddah to Moscow.
Now all that is left for General Sports Authority and WBSS organizers to decide is whether or not the fight takes place under a roof.
“Neither of us would appreciate fighting outdoors in that heat and humidity but who knows?” said Groves in an interview with Arab News. “I’m pretty sure they’re (the tournament organizers) sensible. It’s a big stadium but there are indoor arenas attached. I can’t imagine they are looking at selling 70,000 tickets for this fight and doing it outside, so it’s most likely that it will be an indoor arena with some air conditioning.
“Otherwise, it’s no longer a fight is it? It’s something else. It’s an endurance challenge to see who wants it most.”
Groves last fought abroad almost three years ago when he lost to Badou Jack in Las Vegas, but he has no qualms heading over to the Middle East for the first time now the final has been rescheduled.
“It’s really hard to make a proper plan without a proper date,” he said. “It took them so much time because they were deciding whether to do it in the UK or Saudi Arabia. It worked out that there’s more incentives to have it abroad, and they’ve had to find a date in the calendar that doesn’t clash with other big fights.
“It wasn’t going to be the week before because they didn’t want to go head-to-head with Wembley Stadium (when Anthony Joshua fights Alexander Povetkin). It’s a date we can now work toward, put that stress behind us, and we’re good to go.
“Now we’ve got a proper date we can make a proper plan, so we’ve stepped the rehab up, and it’s good we know exactly what we’re working to. Fortunately they’ve come up with a September date, which works well for me, works well for Smith. He’s had a few niggles after his last fight in camp, so we now get the final everyone wants.”
Groves is trained by Shane McGuigan and they have already put in place some key parts of their preparations for fight week.
“I have some friends who have been out there for events and it’s not really a tourist destination, but luckily a good friend of mine is well connected out there, so our accommodation is sorted and we have our own gym sorted, so a few things that could be stressful have been eradicated,” Groves added in an interview with Sky Sports.
“Of course, no one knows if it will be busy or not or if there will be loads of British fans out there and we will wait to find out, but as long as I can get my team out there, everyone else can follow.
“We haven’t decided when we’re going out yet but everything is in place. The announcement gave us the full eight-week camp, which is what we usually have, and the shoulder is fine. Absolutely fine.”
Groves secured perhaps his most authoritative victory when, in February’s semifinal at the Manchester Arena, he earned a unanimous decision over Eubank Jr., his rival as the 168lbs WBSS’ biggest name.
The polished performance followed a stoppage of fellow Briton Jamie Cox in the quarter-final that also represented his first title defense, and the continuation of the momentum he had built when first becoming a champion by previously stopping Fedor Chudinov of Russia.
“I’ve had some great experiences in boxing, (the semifinal) was one of them, it wasn’t the best but it was a very good one,” he said.
“They were so excited to make me and Eubank Jr. — they made it and they announced it. Me and Smith have had injuries so they had to think about the date.
“The amount of recovery time between the semifinal and the final, it’s a case of the longer the better. But we’ve been in the gym training so it will feel like a long camp by the end of it. That was always going to be the case because we had spent so much time rehabilitating the shoulder but I’m still eight weeks out from the fight, feeling fresh. Weight’s good, mindset’s good and my body is conditioned now.
“The worrying thing when you have that much time out is you come back and it takes you six weeks to even pretend to feel like an athlete. That’s when your muscles take a while to respond to the work and you’re aching for days after the sessions. But we’re good to go. We are pushing it now with the sparring and it’s so far, so good.”
Groves’ wife Sophie this summer gave birth to their second son, Albie, but his fight preparations and rehabilitation means he has so far had little involvement in his care.
“My wife’s fantastic,” he said. “This is probably the hardest part for her and I feel for her. But she understands that I have to be selfish at times. When she has had no sleep, she has to get up to feed our two-year-old (Teddy) and leaves me in bed. I feel guilty, but I manage to sleep through that guilt.
“We’ve got good family support, so we’re OK.”
Fit-again George Groves relishing super fight in Jeddah
Fit-again George Groves relishing super fight in Jeddah
- Sept. fight will be held at King Abdullah Sports City
- 'Now we’ve got a proper date we can make a proper plan'
England stunned by Senegal to put Tuchel under immediate pressure
- Boos rained down from the disgruntled home support to leave Tuchel with plenty to ponder
NOTTINGHAM: United Kingdom, June 10, 2025 : England slumped to a 3-1 home friendly defeat by Senegal on Tuesday to ramp up the scrutiny on boss Thomas Tuchel one year out from the World Cup.
Goals from Ismaila Sarr, Habib Diarra and Cheikh Sabaly inflicted England’s first ever defeat against African opposition at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground after Harry Kane had given the hosts an early lead.
Tuchel was scathing in his criticism of his side’s dreary display in beating minnows Andorra just 1-0 in World Cup qualifying on Saturday.
The German, who was appointed with the task of ending England’s wait since 1966 for a major tournament win, has so far failed to spark a star-studded squad into looking like contenders for the World Cup, even if this was his first defeat in four games.
Tuchel responded by making 10 changes, with Kane the only player to retain his place.
It took just seven minutes for the England captain to maintain his record of scoring in every game since Tuchel took charge.
Former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy should have done better when he could only parry Anthony Gordon’s shot into the path of Kane, who tapped in his 73rd international goal.
Dean Henderson was given a rare chance to impress in the England goal as Jordan Pickford was relegated to the bench.
The Crystal Palace stopper made impressive saves from his club team-mate Sarr and Idrissa Gana Gueye.
But he was helpless when Sarr made the most of a lack of concentration from Kyle Walker to meet Nicolas Jackson’s cross and fire into the bottom corner.
England had never lost to African opposition in 22 previous matches but Senegal had been beaten just once from open play since losing to the Three Lions at the 2022 World Cup.
Diarra was afforded acres of room to run in behind the England defense and slot between the legs of Henderson to put the visitors in front just after the hour mark.
Mendy made amends for his role in the opening goal with fine saves to deny Bukayo Saka and Morgan Gibbs-White a swift equalizer.
England thought they had levelled late on when Jude Bellingham smashed home from a corner.
But the goal was ruled out for a handball by Levi Colwill before the ball broke to the Real Madrid midfielder.
Senegal made the most of that reprieve to seal a famous win in stoppage time when Sabaly rounded off a slick counter-attack.
Boos rained down from the disgruntled home support to leave Tuchel with plenty to ponder before England are next in action in September.
Jon Rahm: Smaller fields make top 10s easier at LIV Golf
- Rahm tied for eighth last week in Virginia without ever having a serious chance of winning over the final few holes
OAKMONT, Pennsylvania: Two-time major champion Jon Rahm comes into the US Open off another top 10 at LIV Golf, which is nothing new. The Spaniard has never come in lower in the 20 events he has finished since joining the Saudi-backed league at the start of last year.
Is that a big deal?
“I would happily trade a bunch of them for more wins, that’s for sure,” said Rahm, who has two LIV victories but has yet to win this year. “But I keep putting myself in good position.”
One of the criticism of LIV is the 54-man fields over 54 holes, especially with a half-dozen or more considered past their prime and several unproven young players.
Rahm delivered some context on his streak.
“Listen, I’m a realist in this case,” he said. “I’ve been playing really good golf, yes, but I’d be lying if I said that it wasn’t easier to have top 10s with a smaller field. That’s just the truth, right? Had I been playing full-field events, would I have top 10 every single week? No. But I’ve been playing good enough to say that I would most likely have been inside the top 30 every single time and maybe even top 25.”
He considered that impressive, and he figures most of those would be top 10s.
Rahm tied for eighth last week in Virginia without ever having a serious chance of winning over the final few holes. He said against a full field, he doubts that would have been a top 10.
“I think winning is equally as hard, but you can take advantage of a smaller field to finish higher,” he said. “As much as I want to give it credit personally for having that many top 10s, I wouldn’t always give it as the full amount just knowing that it’s a smaller field.”
DeChambeau and LIV
Bryson DeChambeau says the contract he signed to join Saudi-funded LIV Golf is up next year and he’s already looking ahead to a new one.
“We’re looking to negotiate end of this year, and I’m very excited. They see the value in me. I see the value in what they can provide, and I believe we’ll come to some sort of resolution on that,” DeChambeau said Tuesday. “Super excited for the future.”
LIV contracts are confidential and there has been ample speculation whether the Public Investment Fund will shell out the kind of signing bonuses that helped lure players away from the PGA Tour in 2022.
Meanwhile, unification with the PGA Tour and LIV Golf appears at a standstill as PIF officials want any future to include team golf.
“I think that LIV is not going anywhere,” DeChambeau said.
He said Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the PIF governor behind the rival league, “has been steadfast in his belief on team golf, and whether everybody believes in it or not, I think it’s a viable option.”
DeChambeau believes LIV is going in the right direction and referenced the indoor tech-infused TGL as having teams making money.
“I believe there is a sustainable model out there,” he said. “How it all works with the game of golf, who knows? But I know my worth.”
Xander and YouTube
Xander Schauffele might spend less time on his phone than anyone, usually only scrolling through the news. A few weeks ago at the Memorial, during a rapid-fire series of random questions, he was asked who he would take with him on “The Amazing Race” reality show.
“What’s ‘The Amazing Race,’” he asked.
So when he was told about Tommy Fleetwood’s latest venture with YouTube and asked if he would considering doing something like that, Schauffele replied, “Is that like a serious question?”
But he has spent time on YouTube for a reason. Schauffele made his US Open debut in 2017, the year after the Open at Oakmont. What better way to check out the course than watching a US Open at Oakmont?
“I watched some of the ‘16 coverage on YouTube. I would have watched it on any platform that would have been provided, but I watched some of that coverage there just to see sort of how guys were hitting shots and how the ball was reacting,” Schauffele said.
Turns out that wasn’t his first experience on YouTube.
“I’ve been in dark places where I’ve looked up swing tip things on YouTube as well, trying to make sense of it, just like every golfer has. I’ll confess to it,” he said. “I’m luckily not there anymore, which is probably healthy for myself and my family.
“Yeah, there’s a lot on there, I can tell you that much.”
Rory and his driver
Rory McIlroy expressed concern about his driver after badly missing the cut in the Canadian Open, his last tournament ahead of the US Open.
He said he worked at home over the weekend and realized he was using the wrong driver. And he was coy about which one he was using, suggesting that people could always go to the range to find out for themselves.
McIlroy got plenty of attention with his driver when it was leaked at the PGA Championship that his driver did not pass inspection. It’s a common occurrence, and testing takes place randomly at every major. Scottie Scheffler also had to change drivers after his didn’t pass the test. He wound up winning by five shots.
So was that a problem for McIlroy at the PGA Championship?
“It wasn’t a big deal for Scottie,” McIlroy said. “So it shouldn’t have been a big deal for me.”
The best honorary member
Dustin Johnson had not played Oakmont since the won the US Open in 2016. That’s not to say he hasn’t been back to the fabled club. Oakmont Country Club honors its major champions by offering them honorary membership.
Johnson went back a few years later for the honor, going to a dinner and getting his green jacket .
Honorary membership has its privileges that Johnson doesn’t use.
“I’m probably their favorite member because I never come,” he said.
Oakmont need not to be offended. Johnson was asked how many clubs he had honorary membership and he didn’t bother counting.
“Quite a few,” he said. “And I don’t use very many, either.”
Australia qualify for 2026 World Cup
PARIS: Australia booked their place at the 2026 World Cup in North America with a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on Tuesday.
The Socceroos will play in a sixth consecutive World Cup finals after finishing second in Group C in the third round of Asian qualifiers, as the Saudis head into the fourth round.
Canelo Alvarez to face Terence Crawford in Riyadh Season Las Vegas showdown
- Fight between 2 of boxing’s biggest generational athletes will be streamed on Netflix
- They will compete for the unified Super Middleweight championship on Sept. 13
LONDON: Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will face off against Terence Crawford on Sept. 13 in Las Vegas, Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and president of the Saudi Boxing Federation, and Dana White, CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, have announced.
The highly anticipated fight between two of boxing’s biggest generational athletes will be streamed on Netflix for more than 300 million subscribers on the platform.
White, Alashikh and Saudi events firm Sela will collaborate to promote the event, which is part of Riyadh Season.
The showdown will be promoted through a promotional tour with stops in Riyadh on June 20, New York City on June 22 and Las Vegas on June 27.
The venue for the fight in Las Vegas, scheduled for September, will be announced at a later date. The boxers will compete for the unified Super Middleweight championship.
Alalshikh said on Tuesday: “Canelo and Crawford, two legends of boxing, will finally compete against each other in the fight of the century.”
Dana White described the anticipated fight in Las Vegas as historic. He added: “Turki wants to make the biggest fights that the fans want to see in boxing and this is right up my alley ... it’s literally a once in a lifetime fight.”
Mexican star Canelo is ready to prove he is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. “I’m super happy to be making history again and this time on a Riyadh Season card that will be broadcast on Netflix,” he said.
Crawford, the undefeated American superstar, is confident that his record speaks for itself. “I am the best fighter in the world and no matter the opponent or weight class, I have always come out on top,” he said.
“On Sept. 13, my hand will be raised once again as the world watches greatness,” Crawford told fans.
Baseball United and Tokyo Broadcasting System launch reality show to find Japan’s next baseball stars
- The national competition, ‘Tryout: Plan D,’ will give hopeful players a chance to compete professionally in the Dubai league
DUBAI: A partnership between Baseball United, the first professional baseball league focused on the Middle East and South Asia, and leading Japanese broadcaster Tokyo Broadcast System will give young baseball players a shot at becoming professional stars.
The reality show, “Tryout: Plan D,” will feature hundreds of hopefuls competing for two roster spots on the Mid East Falcons, one of Baseball United’s founding franchises. The winners will play for the Falcons during the inaugural season in Dubai, which begins on Nov. 14.
Participants will compete in several stages of the competition, starting in July and ending in November. Ultimately, one pitcher and one batter will be selected after a series of intense challenges measuring skill, mental toughness, physical fitness and passion for the game.
The partnership will be anchored by TBS’s long running and widely respected show, バース・デイ(“Birthday”), a documentary series that has chronicled the triumphs and struggles of athletes across Japan for the last 20 years.
Airing on Friday nights, it explores its subjects’ personal transformations and emotional journeys. “Tryout” will bring to life a compelling mix of reality television, human interest and competitive action, while providing real opportunities for Japanese baseball prospects.
“Japan is one of the greatest baseball nations in the world,” said Kash Shaikh, chairman, CEO and co-founder of Baseball United.
“Baseball is engrained into the culture, history and future of this country. And we know there are a lot of talented players that just need an opportunity to showcase their ability. ‘Tryout’ is more than just a competition — it’s a celebration of culture, a catalyst of opportunity and a testament (to) resilience. We are honored to collaborate with TBS and the legendary ‘Birthday’ team to bring this vision to life.”
Tryout will begin airing on TBS in July, with behind-the-scenes content and exclusive footage shared across Baseball United’s global channels. The two winners will be officially introduced as members of the Mid East Falcons before the team’s game against the Karachi Monarchs on Wednesday, Nov. 19.
“Our program バース・デイ has always sought to showcase the untold stories behind athletic greatness,” said show producer Hidemitsu Takahashi.
“Partnering with Baseball United allows us to elevate that mission by offering young Japanese players the opportunity of a lifetime — to transform their lives through sport, and to do so on a truly international platform. We can’t wait to have our two winners take the field in Dubai.”
Baseball United was co-founded by Shaikh, John Miedreich, and MLB Hall of Famers Barry Larkin and Mariano Rivera in November 2022. Its ownership group now includes 20 MLB legends, including Hall of Famer Adrian Beltre and stars Felix Hernandez, Ryan Howard, Albert Pujols, Ronald Acuna Jr., Robinson Chirinos, and Matt Barnes. The league currently has four franchises, the Mumbai Cobras, Karachi Monarchs, Arabia Wolves and Mid East Falcons, who will all compete in the league’s first season from Nov. 14-Dec. 14. All games will be played at Baseball United Ballpark in Dubai.
