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Novak Djokovic celebrated his gold medal victory at the Paris 2024 Olympics in his native Serbia with the rest of the Serbian Olympic team, as huge crowds of Serbians received their athletes with a warm welcome Monday evening.

Thousands of onlookers congregated in the capital at Belgrade City Hall to celebrate the efforts of Djokovic and the rest of the Serbian Olympic team, following an Olympic campaign where Serbia accrued five medals overall, including three gold medals.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic was present to warmly greet Djokovic and the rest of the Serbian athletes.

Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(3), 7-6(2) in the Olympic final to claim a long- awaited Olympic gold medal and complete the career ‘Golden Slam’. The Serb was visibly emotional after his victory, stating that winning the elusive gold medal was “the biggest sporting achievement I have had”.

“I have had the honour and pleasure of being on this special [City Hall] balcony several times in my career, but each time you surprise and inspire me more and more,” Djokovic told the crowd. “This is the most beautiful feeling that an athlete from Serbia can experience.”

Djokovic was joined on the Belgrade City Hall balcony by the rest of the Serbian Olympic team, which included basketball star, Nikola Jokic, a staple figure in the national team as they secured the bronze medal with victory over Germany.

BOXING

Canelo Still Willing To Fight Terence Crawford But Has One Final Condition – And It’s Not Money

Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez has not completely ruled out facing Terence Crawford.

Crawford has been chasing a fight against the super-middleweight unified champion since his career defining victory last year over Errol Spence Jr, where he captured the undisputed crown at welterweight.

The fight had a financial backer in Riyadh Season’s Turki Alalshikh, who made it clear he wanted to make the clash and announced an offer had been sent to the Mexican. However just 48 hours later that offer was revoked and Canelo gave his thoughts behind the u-turn – saying he only did business on his terms.

“Yesterday they text me asking to discuss the fight with Crawford and I said ‘look I’m not going to talk about any other fight, I’m focused 100% on this fight [against Berlanga]’.

I don’t like the way he talk and I’m in a position that if he wants to work with me it’s my way not their way. I don’t need it. It’s not the way to approach me. I respect everybody and I respect Turki but if he wants to work with me it needs to be my way.”

Canelo has been accused of pricing himself out of the big fights fans have been calling for and had previously slapped a $150m price-tag on facing ‘Bud’.

However, when asked by Fight Hub TV about the current situation, Canelo did not dismiss the contest but told Crawford to face Teofimo Lopez first and then ‘he’ll see’ about making it happen.

“Crawford needs to fight Teofimo [Lopez] first and then we’ll see… Teofimo deserves it more than me.”

Teofimo Lopez is the current super-lightweight Ring Magainze and WBO belt holder and has welcomed a clash against his fellow American.

Crawford made yet more history this month when he became a four-weight world champion after defeating Israil Madrimov on his 154lb debut.

BOXING

Shakur Stevenson Reacts To Canelo Alvarez Backing Gervonta Davis To Beat Him

Gervonta Davis and Shakur Stevenson are two halves of one of the best match-ups to be made in boxing.

Add in that both are undefeated, in their primes, American and hold belts in the lightweight division then it becomes a must-see spectacle, and one that seemed relatively close to being made this year.

When fellow champion Vasily Lomachenko backed out of talks with Davis, Stevenson was without an opponent and fans immediately called to see it happen. Unfortunately, both look likely to take other routes for the time-being for it to be revisited in 2025.

‘Tank’s raw power and calculated game plans have allowed him to reach 30 wins with 28 knockouts, but no fighter in 22 fights is yet to truly piece together the puzzle of Stevenson’s defence. Can the Baltimore puncher be the first to do it?

Speaking in a recent interview with Sway’s Universe, pound-for-pound superstar Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez said yes.

“Shakur Stevenson is a good fighter, he moves a lot and it’s very difficult to hit him but I like Gervonta Davis, he’s a really good fighter. He hits hard and he knows how to go forward. I put my money on Gervonta.”

Despite his inclination to take on his detractors with a no holds barred approach, Stevenson took the verdict respectfully and viewed it as more of a challenge to prove the Mexican wrong.

“Can’t be mad at that respectful opinion, we will find out when the fight happen. Chasing Greatness.”

Stevenson is slated to face number one contender William Zepeda next, whilst ‘Tank’s potential plan of a rematch with Isaac Cruz has fallen through due to the Mexican losing his super-lightweight world title to Jose Valenzuela this month.

BOXING

Shakur Stevenson explains why Gervonta Davis fight is ‘bigger than boxing’

When it comes to a mega fight between Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Shakur Stevenson, it’s just a matter of time according to the latter.

And with all the verbal jabs that the two have exchanged, Stevenson believes when the two finally do clash, it will be bigger than simply another blockbuster fight.

“It’s kind of bigger than boxing, I guess you could say, because of the history and everything that went on,” Stevenson began telling mentor Andre Ward on “All The Smoke Fight.”

“It’s hard to even speak on it just because of the fact that we gotta fight.”

Such a super bout would pit two undefeated lightweight world champions in their prime against each other as Davis (30-0, 28 knockouts) holds the WBA title and Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) owns the WBC belt.

Stevenson has no doubt in his mind that the bout will happen, hinting that it’s just a matter of when at this point.

“I know it’s going to happen,” Stevenson vowed to Ward. “I’m the best, he’s the best. So when you have two guys that’s the best, how can you not fight?

“Only way you can not fight is one of them guys ain’t like that and one of those guys go off to lose or somebody takes an L. But I think with both of us, we’re both fighters that’s really good fighters and on that level.”

He added that the fight can happen “whenever,” noting both men are ready for it.

“It can happen next, it can happen next year,” Stevenson said, “whenever he say ‘let’s fight,’ that’s when it’s going to happen.”

As the conversation between Stevenson and Ward continued, Stevenson heaped praise onto “Tank,” not just for his vaunted knockout power but his boxing acumen.

“He’s strategic, he’s setting guys up,” Stevenson noted. “He’s been boxing since a little kid just like I’ve been boxing since a little kid and you can tell with the experience.”

Stevenson added: “Even with his last fight with Frank Martin, you could see Frank Martin was more so an amateur. Like the experience he got is not on the level of like ‘Tank’ and he just took off with experience. He let him waste his energy, gassed him out and then Round 8, it’s time to go home.”

BOXING

John Gotti III on Rematch Against Floyd Mayweather: ‘Fate Gave Me A Second Fight’

John Gotti III is not viewing his upcoming fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. as an exhibition.

He sees it for what it is: an opportunity to launch into an entirely new realm.

“This fight can dictate the course of my future in the fight game,” said Gotti. “He’s going to be met with bad intentions. After everything that happened last time, we’ll see who backs up first.”

Their initial exhibition bout took place in June of 2023, ending by disqualification 58 seconds into the sixth round after referee Kenny Bayliss repeatedly warned both fighters to stop their excessive clinching and abusive language. That is when chaos ensued, as a furious Gotti continued to throw punches–and teammates, family members, and their respective entourage stormed the ring.

“This is going to be a hell of a fight,” said Gotti. “It’s going to be a very interesting night. Don’t let Floyd fool you–he’s taking this seriously, he’s coming to fight.”

The eight-round exhibition airs on DAZN and takes place on Saturday, August 24, with Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City serving as the setting. Since retiring from professional boxing in 2017, the undefeated Mayweather (50-0) has turned his attention to exhibition bouts. There is a storyline behind this one, with bad blood between Gotti–who is the grandson of infamous mob boss John Gotti–and Mayweather.

Gotti, 31, is sixteen years younger than Mayweather. He is also far less experienced, which is no slight when facing one of the greatest to ever grace the ring. A former MMA fighter, he is determined to prove his worth in boxing.

“My motivation is for people I love and care about it,” said Gotti. “I want to make my family look good and set an example for my family. My little brother Joseph is starting to box, so I want to make a good example. I can see it when we’re in the gym training. If I can make him do something positive with his life, then I’ve done my job.

“I’m one of only two other fighters to have a rematch against Floyd. He’s one of the greatest fighters to ever lace up boxing gloves. Being in the ring with someone of that caliber, the challenge excites me.”

Mayweather, 47, still possesses the speed, reflex, and power that made him elite. He controlled the first bout against Gotti, utilizing all his trademarks, including covering ground extremely quickly and manipulating Gotti with his movement.

Gotti believes the experience from the first fight will benefit him in the rematch. That is a tall task, but one that is motivating him to be at his absolute best.

“I’ve seen his best, he hasn’t seen mine,” said Gotti. “Last time, I was timid. He’ll see the real me on August 24, and I’m intrigued to see how he handles that.

“Fate gave me a second fight, and I’m making the most of it.”

BOXING

Floyd Mayweather Jr. once bought ultra rare Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita

Floyd Mayweather Jr. once splashed the cash on a seriously exclusive Koenigsegg hypercar
He spent more than $4 million on a Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita
Only two of the stunning hypercars were ever madeFloyd Mayweather Jr. once splashed the cash on a Koenigsegg hypercar that was one of just two ever made.
The boxing legend – who has the nickname Money, for fairly obvious reasons – parted with a whopping $4,800,000 to get his hands on a Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita.

With an estimated net worth of around $400 million, money is basically no object to Money.

From a $50 million private jet that’s like a flying palace to a $1.4 million diamond-encrusted watch, he’s happy to spend big to get what he wants.

And it seems one of the things he wants is an epic car collection, which he’s been adding to over the years.

But even among such a high-end collection – stuffed with Lamborghinis, Rolls-Royce, and Ferraris – the Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita is a real gem.

For starters, it is one of the fastest cars ever made with a top speed of 400 km/h (248 mph).

The CCXR Trevita’s 4.7 liter V8 can produce 1,018 horsepower and 781lb-ft of torque and can hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.1 seconds.

And what makes it all the more special is the fact that just two of the stunning hypercars were ever made.

The car gets its name from an abbreviation of Swedish words that translate into ‘three whites’.

And it features totally unique, specially-designed carbon weave bodywork.

“Prior to the Trevita, car manufacturers only had access to traditional black carbon fiber,” Koenigsegg explained.

“Koenigsegg developed a unique coated fiber solution for the Trevita program that transformed the fibers from black to a sparkling, silvery-white.

“When sunlight hits the Trevita, it sparkles as if millions of tiny white diamonds are infused inside the visible carbon fiber bodywork.” Sounds fancy.

Mayweather showed off the car in an Instagram post when he bought it back in 2015.

“My new 4.8 million dollar car,” he wrote. “$4,800,000 Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita supercar. Koenigsegg is an ultra boutique automobile manufacturer for the super-rich.

“Koenigsegg made only two Trevita for the world and this is the number two of two.”

How the other half live, eh?

CELEB NEWS

Tiger Woods explains how to hit one of his go-to shots around the green

Tiger Woods has just about every shot imaginable in his arsenal. Whether the situation requires the ball to go high or low, left or right, the 15-time major winner has the shot in his bag to get it done.

Watching Woods work around the greens you can see his creativity really shine. Rarely on the course does he hit just a stock shot with his short game. Every scenario is a little bit different, and each requires specific adjustments in order to have the best chance of chipping it close.

One of Woods’ go-to shots around the greens comes in the form of a “draw chip.” And in today’s edition of Play Smart, we’re going to hear from the man himself on how to hit it.

How to hit Tiger’s draw chip

Sometimes getting the ball close from short range requires a little bit of creative thinking. For Woods, that comes in the form of shaping the ball left or right to get the ball close.

For a shot that needs to move left-to-right — or one that might be affected by a tough lie — he turns to his patented draw chip.

Executing the shot is simple. According to Woods, he opens the face just a touch, keeps his hands forward at address and then when the club head is approaching impact, he tries to close the face down and move his body forward.

“I’ll get more spin,” Woods says. “But I’m also ensuring that I don’t fat it.”

Next time you’re around the greens and are worried about catching the ball a little heavy, try focusing on hitting a draw chip. You’ll be amazed how easy it is to execute — and how useful it is to have in your arsenal.

CELEB NEWS

These are the great exciting challenges that Djokovic has to fulfill

We reveal what sports goals can incentivize the Serb in the coming times and keep his competitive ambition alive.

Novak Djokovic has conquered all imaginable successes in the career of a professional tennis player, and many wonder if this could lead to a lack of ambition on his part, something that could hasten his retirement. The Serbian’s main driving force is his love for tennis, but there are still some challenges ahead that could excite him.

Winning the Olympic gold has been the crowning achievement that was missing for Novak Djokovic to complete a dream career. The Balkan tennis player dominates the vast majority of major statistics related to major titles won and the world No.

1 ranking. He had been fervently seeking to complete his list of achievements with a victory at the Olympic Games, so many tennis enthusiasts fear that he may feel a certain sense of emptiness now that he has achieved it, and may consider his career satisfactory at 37 years old.

He himself was questioned about this in Paris, with the gold medal around his neck, and he tried to distance himself from definitive statements, but made it clear that what drives him most to continue competing is his love for tennis and the desire to build an everlasting legacy that goes beyond results. Nevertheless, Novak’s competitive drive is beyond doubt, and there may still be statistical challenges that motivate and add to convincing him to make all the necessary sacrifices in order to stay at the top for a few more years. Some of them are reviewed here.

– Becoming the player with the most matches won in all four Grand Slams

Interestingly, Novak doesn’t hold the record for victories in any of the four majors, but he could manage to be listed in all of them as the player with the most matches won if he continues on the circuit for a few more years. He is 8 matches behind Federer at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, 10 behind Connors at the US Open, and his toughest challenge is to surpass Nadal at Roland Garros as the Spaniard leads him by 16 matches. Therefore, he would need at least three more years to break that record.

– Becoming the oldest Grand Slam champion in the Open Era

This longevity record is well within reach as he would only need to win the US Open in 2024. If he doesn’t achieve it, he will have the chance in subsequent events of this category. Novak has been a model of professionalism throughout his career and deserves to surpass the records of Federer and Rosewall.

– Winning each of the Masters 1000 tournaments three times

Before Djokovic burst onto the scene, no player had managed to win all the events that are now Masters 1000. Well, he accomplished it and, moreover, did it twice each. As if this weren’t impressive enough, he only needs to win one more event to be able to say he is the champion of all of them, at least three times. Monte Carlo is the one that eludes him.

– Being the third player in history to reach 1,200 matches won

Currently, the Serbian has 1,116 victories. It’s not far-fetched to think that he could win another 84 matches, although the fact that he significantly reduces his competition appearances makes the task more difficult. He would be the third player to achieve this, after Jimmy Connors (1,274 wins) and Roger Federer (1,251 victories).

– Becoming the player with the most titles won of all time

Jimmy Connors’ record of 109 titles seemed unreachable until recently, but Djokovic already has 99. He is close to becoming the third player in history to win a hundred titles and is near Federer’s 103. Overtaking the American seems more challenging, but he should never be counted out.

CELEB NEWS

Paris Olympics: Is Venus Williams Part of Closing Ceremony Instead of Sister Serena Williams? Here’s What We Know

“Have you ever had an unforgettable moment?” was a poll tennis legend Serena Williams raised after her amazing experience at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. While every second of her presence was “truly unforgettable” for her as well as the spectators, it is now time for Venus Williams to take the legacy ahead. As the glorious event is about to end, the authorities dropped surprising updates regarding the star-studded LA28 handover and the closing ceremony.

The United States is preparing for a big moment, not just to celebrate a massive line of 126 medals but also for the Olympic flag to be handed over to Los Angeles for the 2028 Games. This significant event is expected to set the stage for one of the biggest celebrations in Olympic history.

While Serena Williams carried the Olympic Torch in the Paris opening ceremony, it is time she hands over the honor to her sister Venus Williams as she steps into the spotlight to host the LA28 handover segment. The five-time Olympic medalist and tennis champion is announced to be the host of the LA28 Countdown.

This event will air after the closing ceremony on NBC and Peacock. Venus, known for her legendary tennis career, will guide the audience through a vibrant evening that will be focused on sharing a glimpse of the LA28 Games and the energy of California. The celebration is set to feature behind-the-scenes footage of the LA28 handover and appearances by Olympic legends Carl Lewis, Sugar Ray Leonard, USA Water Polo Hall of Famer Brenda Villa, and Paralympic swimmer and five-time medalist Rudy Garcia-Tolson.

“The countdown to LA28 begins with the Paris Closing Ceremony. As we conclude one of the most spectacular Games ever, Paris will hand over the Olympic flag to Los Angeles, who gets things started with a powerhouse lineup of musical superstars that will rock the world,” said Molly Solomon, Executive Producer, and President of NBC Olympics Programming.

Along with Venus, globally renowned artist Snoop Dogg, who is a California native, is also set to add a musical touch to the ceremony. Grammy and Academy Award-winning artist Billie Eilish, Grammy-winning group Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Grammy Award-winning artist H.E.R., also born and raised in California, are other famous names to make the evening memorable.

As these big names look forward to setting the stage on fire, Venus will be the one to guide millions of spectators through the star-studded evening. Along with the update spreading like a fever across all media channels, Venus also made sure to add a glimpse of it on her Instagram profile.

Venus Williams’ Instagram echos the enormous update

While the news channels are abuzz with updates on Venus Williams’ new gig at the Paris Olympics, she made sure to bless her followers with a confirmation. She recently shared a post on Instagram in collaboration with LA28 games’ official page. The post featured a picture of her in an adorable dress with a caption that highlighted her gig at the handover ceremony.

“5x Olympic medalist, tennis champion, entrepreneur, and now Host of the Countdown to LA28 Party, @venuswilliams is serving it all in the latest on the LA28 Games,” the post caption said. The engagement rate started touching skies, attracting likes and comments from fans and followers. Among the many responses that congratulated her on this victory, one comment was from Katerina Adams, the chairperson of Fed Cup.

BOXING

Three Reasons Why Terence Crawford vs Israil Madrimov Was a Huge Failure, Reveals Renowned Boxing Commentator

Terence Crawford defeated Israil Madrimov to achieve a title in a fourth division earlier this month. However, boxing commentator and popular YouTube star ShowBizz The Adult feels his fight could not achieve the same level of success. Crawford took on Madrimov in the Riyadh Season Card, which was His Excellency Turki Alalshikh‘s debut event in America. By all regards, the card was stacked from top to bottom.

READ MORRE:David Avanesyan Fought Both Terence Crawford And Jaron Ennis And Has No Doubt Who Hits Harder

Big names like Isaac Cruz, David Morrell and Andy Ruiz Jr., all put on blockbuster fights on the same card in Los Angeles. Not to mention, Madrimov managed to push Crawford to his limit in the headlining fight. So, the question is, why does ShowBizz feel the Crawford vs. Madrimov fight was a failure? He points at Crawford alone for the failure while sharing three reasons to justify his claim.

ShowBizz the Adult shared a clip on Instagram, as people have come to know him for, where he discussed the subject. He began by revealing, “I’m hearing through the Grapevine that it may not have cracked 100,000 pay-per-view buys”. It’s worth noting that Jed I. Goodman, a TV executive, reported this initially that the event did somewhere between 75,000 to 100,000 pay-per-view buys, including streaming buys.

In another tweet, he also suggested that the Saudis lost $10 million from the event. However, the official numbers haven’t been revealed as of the time of writing. ShowBizz compared these numbers with what Devin Haney‘s fights would often do. Regardless, the boxing commentator further added, “Terence Crawford is a temporary Champion. If Jermell Charlo comes back, he’s the Super Champ, which is diabolical”.

Jermell Charlo was the former undisputed super welterweight champion, but after he was a no show to purse bids to defend his titles, he was declared a champion in recess. Still, if he does decide to come back, he will have the option to face Crawford to become champion once again. And finally, ShowBizz presented his third point, “His performance against Madrimov lost him the bag, everybody was hyped up for Canelo and Crawford until that s**t”.

RELATED:Turki Al-Sheikh prepares millions for the most awaited fight: I want Canelo for Crawford

In fact, the potential fight will probably never happen since His Excellency has announced he is no longer interested in arranging such a bout after reaching out to Canelo Alvarez’s team with an offer. Not to forget, this has started a beef between Canelo and Alashaikh, which saw the Saudi royal accuse Canelo of avoiding Crawford and David Benavidez. Also, Terence Crawford might just have to start worrying about defending his title against Charlo.

PBC is all set for the Charlo brothers to make their big comeback in 2024. Jermall Charlo, who last fought in November after a long break, has had his share of struggles but is ready to get back into action. There’s talk of him facing off against Caleb Plant, especially after their heated incident in July 2023.

During a conversation with Kurt Emhoff on the Boxing Esq. Podcast, Tim Smith from PBC, mentioned that they’re totally on board for the Charlo brothers’ returns, saying, “The welcome mat is always out when they’re ready.”

UPDATE:Do Canelo and Gervonta Davis need Turki Alalshikh?

Jermell Charlo, who hasn’t fought since his loss to Canelo Alvarez last September, is also itching to get back in the ring. Smith added, “They’vuse got to let us know when they’re ready, and then we’ll make sure that they get back in the ring.” Fans should get ready for some exciting matchups as both brothers look to make a splash in the boxing world again.

Purely from the points ShowBizz the Adult presented in his video, it’s hard to argue why that might not be the case. However, the event itself was undeniably quite entertaining, and since it was only the first of its kind from His Excellency, future events could change the narrative. Do you think the fight was a total failure?