YouTuber Jake Paul will face former world champion Mike Tyson in a boxing match on July 20. It is unclear if it will be an official fight or an exhibition bout, but it will be staged in Texas and broadcast live on streaming platform Netflix. Paul, 27, beat Ryan Bourland in his 10th professional fight earlier this month.
Tyson, whose professional career ended in 2005, had his most recent exhibition bout in 2020 and will turn 58 three weeks before facing Paul.
He made a blistering start to his professional career to become the youngest heavyweight champion in history at 20, when he beat Trevor Berbick in his first title fight in November 1986. That was his 28th professional fight since making his debut in March 1985 aged 18 – and he won 26 of them by knockout.
An offer of £100 million has been made to the Olympic Council of Malaysia to assist in preparing the nation to host the Commonwealth Games in 2026. The Games are currently without a host after the Australian state of Victoria cancelled its plans last July because of soaring costs.
Malaysia’s Olympic Council says it received a formal invitation from the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) to replace Victoria as host last month. The CGF says it is in “advanced discussions” with potential hosts.
FIFA has selected Qatar and Morocco to host the next ten Under-17 World Cups; the competitions will become annual in 2025.
From 2025 to 2029, Qatar will host the men’s Under-17 World Cup, which will feature 48 teams. Twenty-four teams will compete in five editions of the women’s Under-17 World Cup in Morocco during the same time frame.
The decisions taken on March 14 by FIFA’s ruling council demonstrate the growing influence of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in football.
The 2022 World Cup for men was held in Qatar, and Morocco is one of the six co-hosts of the 2030 tournament. The 37-member FIFA Council, which also includes a representative from Saudi Arabia—which is anticipated to host the men’s World Cup in 2034—has elected representatives from both nations.
TENNIS
Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur says she would be supportive of the Women’s Tennis Association if it decides to move the prestigious WTA Finals to Saudi Arabia this year.
A potential switch to the Gulf country has generated notable opposition, with tennis greats Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova among those who have expressed concerns over the rights of women and LGBTQ+ people in the country.
In February, the governing body of men’s tennis, the ATP Tour, announced a five-year strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), adding to speculation that a similar deal could be reached in the women’s game.
“I think I’m the first player who would be supportive of going to Saudi,” Jabeur told reporters at Indian Wells on March 6. “The country is evolving. I know that other people have a different opinion, which is normal, but I’ve been there a couple of times and I’ve seen how amazing people are, how women are getting more and more rights.
“As a female tennis player, I feel it’s time to go there, it’s time to give the opportunity to women who dream of being tennis players.”
