YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul (7-1, 5 KOs) defeated MMA legend Nate Diaz by a unanimous decision in their matchup on Saturday night held at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas. Paul dropped Diaz in the second round and dominated the fight in earning a 98-91, 97-92, and 98-91 victory.

“He’s real tough,” said the 26-year-old Paul, a native of Cleveland, afterward. “But tough in this sport doesn’t work.” Paul’s only defeat since embarking on a boxing career and making his debut on January 30, 2020, was against Tommy Fury three years later (January 27, 2023). The bout ended in a decision for Fury. Two judges scored it for Fury and one for Paul.  In upcoming fights, Emanuel Navarrete  (37-1, 31 KOs) will defend his WBO junior lightweight title against Oscar Valdez Valdez (31-1, 23 KOs) in Glendale, Arizona, on Saturday night on ESPN. Navarrete hasn’t lost in over a decade, and Valdez, who defeated Adam Lopez in the co-main event on the Haney vs. Lomachenko fight card, suffered the only loss of his career to Shakur Stevenson in April of last year.
“What has been missing in my career is precisely a victory against someone like Valdez,” said Navarrete. “(Valdez) says he’s going to knock my head off, but let’s see whose head comes off first. Let’s see what Valdez has to offer, and let’s see how much he can endure and how much I can endure, too.”
Valdez assessed his opponent before the match.
“It’s one of the most important fights of my career because it means everything for me to come back and win that title,” he said. “We all know that Navarrete has an awkward style. We might not have the perfect sparring that can emulate his style. But we try to imitate him in the mitt work and strategy. He’s not your typical fighter that throws straight shots.”
Also on Saturday, Emmanuel Rodríguez (21-2, 13 KOs) will take on Melvin Lopez (29-1, 19 KOs) for the vacant IBF bantamweight at the Theater at MGM National Harbor in Maryland and on Showtime. Both fighters discussed the matchup at a recent press conference.
“I’m happy to have this chance to become a world champion again,” Rodriguez said. “We’re gonna go out there to win in spectacular fashion and my goal is to show that I’m the best fighter in the world at 118 pounds. My goal is to become undisputed at bantamweight.”
Lopez is eagerly looking forward to the opportunity.

“I’m very excited that the time is almost here to fight for a world title,” Lopez said. “We’ve had a great training camp and everyone has sacrificed and worked hard so that we’re at our best on August 12.”
On another card this Saturday, in London, United Kingdom, former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua takes on Robert Helenius, who is a replacement for Dillian Whyte, who tested positive for an illegal performance-enhancing substance. 

Joshua suffered the first loss of his career to a replacement fighter, Andy Ruiz, at Madison Square Garden in June 2019. Meanwhile, Helenius suffered a first-round knockout to Deontay Wilder at Barclays Center in October 2022.

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Birmingham, AL — On July 3, Major League Baseball unveiled the official logo and name for the first MLB game at the oldest professional baseball park in the United States: MLB at Rickwood Field: A Tribute to The Negro Leagues.

Rickwood Field was built in 1910 and is known for being a historic park that housed famous Negro League players, and the big show is finally coming to Birmingham, Alabama. 

On June 20, 2024, the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants will play a game at the illustrious field.

“We can’t wait to welcome the Cardinals, the Giants, as well as the entire world to Birmingham,” Mayor Randall Woodfin said during the historic announcement.

The Major League game will be preceded by a Minor League game between the Birmingham Barons and the Montgomery Biscuits, scheduled for June 18, 2024. Renovations will begin on October 23 to prepare the stadium relic for an unforgettable week. 

“This is a seminal moment in Negro Leagues and Black baseball history to have Major League baseball come to Birmingham to Rickwood Field where so much baseball history was made,” Negro Leagues Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick said. 

“When we literally throw this back in time, this is going to be a watershed moment for Negro Leagues history.”

The Barons played in the Southern Association until 1961. The stadium also served as the home of the Birmingham Black Barons in the Negro Leagues between 1924 and 1960.

“We are proud to bring Major League Baseball to historic Rickwood Field in 2024,” said Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred, Jr. in a statement. “This opportunity to pay tribute to the Negro Leagues as the Giants and Cardinals play a regular season game at this iconic location is a great honor. The legacy of the Negro Leagues and its greatest living player, Willie Mays, is one of excellence and perseverance.” 

Mays patrolled center field for the Barons at just 17 years old before making his debut in the Majors at 20 on May 25, 1951 with the New York Giants. He went on to become one of the best all-around players in the Majors. He won 12 Gold Glove Awards, hit 660 home runs, is a member of the 3,000-hit club and won four stolen base titles. Mays missed two full seasons during the prime of his career while serving in the military. 

The unveiling was a spectacle with history buffs, former players and MLBbros such as MVP Ryan Howard, Cy Young winner C.C. Sabathia, All-Star Randy Winn, current MLB Network analyst Harold Reynolds, who emceed the event, and Ron “Papa Jack” Jackson in attendance for the news. The former athletes took time to speak on the meaningfulness of the game.

“The Negro Leagues was so important to the history of this ballgame,” Winn said. We have to focus on the history of this game. This game was built on the backs of the people that played this game before us. … I didn’t play one out, one pitch here in the Negro Leagues, but that’s my beginning.”

The stands are expected to be brimming with passionate Black and brown fans. However, as the historic event unfolds, there remains a concern over the lack of representation of MLBbros on the playing field, which could cast a shadow over the festivities. 

Both the Giants and the Cardinals currently house just one MLBbro each, LaMonte Wade Jr. and Jordan Walker, respectively.

To truly capture the essence of this experience, it is crucial for these teams to make strides toward adding more African-American players to their rosters. 

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* This article was originally published here

It should have happened before the trade deadline.

The Chicago White Sox should have traded shortstop Tim Anderson somewhere, anywhere, before it got to this.

The former batting champion was ejected, and will serve a lengthy suspension, for his role in an on-field fight this past Saturday between the White Sox and Cleveland Guardians that lasted roughly 15 minutes.

Tim Anderson was angry. After verbally getting into it with Gabriel Arias earlier in the game, he was late with his tag on Jose Ramirez as he legged out a RBI double in the sixth inning. 

Ramirez said Anderson put the tag on harder than necessary and it escalated from there.

TA getting leveled by Ramirez was symbolic of how the last couple of seasons have gone in the Windy City.

Since his top-10 finish in the MVP voting following the 2020 season, he’s struggled to stay healthy, and in turn, productive. As of Sunday morning, Tim Anderson had appeared in 338 of a possible 496 games (.681) for Chicago.

His batting average has dropped each year since he posted a career-best .339 average in 2019 to .244 this season. Anderson has only batted below .250 once before, back in 2018. 

He has just one home run and only 14 extra base hits in more than 350 at-bats. For comparison, he had 22 in 2020 while playing in 49 games with 208 ABs during that Covid-shortened campaign. 

With Anderson on the field, the White Sox were a contender, with back-to-back playoff appearances and an AL Central title in 2021. Now the franchise has plummeted to fourth place, falling 14 games out of first place. 

Now, we have the sight of Anderson falling to the dirt after taking one right on the chin. 

It can’t be fixed on the South Side.

The fan base has no confidence in the ownership or the direction of the team. Next year, the team will likely have its fifth manager in five seasons. Executive Vice President Ken Williams’ job could also be on the line. 

The White Sox are short on talent and time. 

It’s beyond the expiration date of this relationship. One of the game’s top young talents and brightest personalities has transformed into a sullen and angry underperformer. That’s not good for Tim Anderson or Major League Baseball.

This offseason, either the White Sox or Anderson, or perhaps both, will have to accept that the opportunity for a peak return has passed. Hopefully, there will be an acceptable team and city that allows Tim Anderson to return to form.

Not Too Late For Tim To Regain Old Form

A Tim Anderson that isn’t hitting or dynamic on the basepaths is just another ballplayer. His glove has been adequate, but his value at the plate is what made him unique.  At age 30, it’s not too late for Anderson to put together some quality seasons that will once again place him on the short list of those who cause sleepless nights for opposing pitchers. 

It is, however, too late for that rebirth to happen with the White Sox. 

Saturday night was proof positive.

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* This article was originally published here