Illinois comes in with a bit of a chip on its shoulder despite ending a string of 10 straight losing seasons

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The Cardinals once traded for Nolan Arenado but, amid the team's tumultuous 2023 season, the All-Star offered his take on forthcoming changes.In all likelihood, Nolan Arenado isn't moving at the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline. The same may not be true, however, of several other St. Louis Card...

Milwaukee Brewers infielder Luis Urías was demoted to the minor leagues

When Daniel Dubois looks across the ring in Wroclaw on Saturday, he would do well to focus on the shark-eyed gaze glaring through him and not the sounds coming from the legions of Ukrainians in the stands – those baying for his systematic dismantling. Because if Oleksandr Usyk specialises in anything, it is systematic dismantling. That is what his travelling fans will be hoping to see when they cross the border from their war-torn homeland to Poland, where their idol defends his gold and his country’s honour this weekend. That is a lot of motivation in the corner of Usyk – the unbeaten southpaw, the unified world heavyweight champion, the Olympic gold medalist, and the only undisputed cruiserweight title holder of his era. And if that motivation were not enough, Usyk will enter the Tarczynski Arena fueled by residual frustration from his failed fight with Tyson Fury. • Get all the latest Usyk vs Dubois betting sites’ offers In an ideal world, Usyk, now closer to 37 than 36, would have fought the WBC champion three months ago; an undisputed king would have been crowned and a rematch might have even been scheduled by now. Instead, Fury is two months out from a bizarre bout with ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou, who is making his professional boxing debut and is not eligible to win the Briton’s WBC belt; and Usyk is on the cusp of a defence against mandatory challenger Dubois. Then again, in an ideal world, Usyk’s country would not be under continued attacks from Russia. That might at least mean that the champion would be staging this defence against Dubois in Ukraine, rather than in Poland. Reality dictates, however, that Usyk’s fans will journey to Wroclaw in search of some brief escapism. Usyk, who volunteered on the frontline in Ukraine last year, knows the responsibility and opportunity he possesses this weekend. He was aware of it when he fought Anthony Joshua – for the second time – last summer, and that was apparent when he collapsed to his knees after securing victory, wrapped in a Ukrainian flag and soaked in tears and sweat. Such emotions will only be heightened on Saturday, in front of the fans who had to watch from a distance when Usyk outpointed Joshua in August. On Saturday, Usyk will again stand across from a British heavyweight, one with formidable power but whose technical abilities and speed do not, in all honesty, measure up to the former cruiserweight’s. The enigmatic Usyk remains a unicorn at heavyweight, balletic in movement but brutal in his sheer efficiency of output. Then there are the angles he creates, which risk leaving Dubois stupefied like a primary school student in a university geometry class. Believe it or not, that is not actually meant as an indictment of Dubois, who has more than the puncher’s chance that some have suggested; however, the truth is that the 25-year-old has not fought an opponent close to Usyk’s calibre, let alone one with this unique of a skillset. Dubois has achieved 18 of his 19 pro wins via knockout, while his sole defeat came in 2020, at the hands of Joe Joyce – hands which battered Dubois’s eye socket to the point of fracture. Dubois hit the canvas that night and did the same in his last fight – three times in fact, all in the first round. On that occasion, against Kevin Lerena in December, it was Dubois’s knee that betrayed him, but the Briton managed to fight through the injury to stop his opponent in Round 3. Fighting unsteadily on one leg, Dubois somehow conjured the power to drop Lerena with a right cross, before finishing him with a barrage of hooks and uppercuts against the ropes. The positive to be taken from that outing is that a healthy Dubois wields even greater power; the question, though, is whether Dubois will stay healthy across 12 rounds with Usyk, who looks well poised to exploit the younger fighter’s vulnerabilities. When the pair came face to face at a pre-fight press conference in July, Dubois vowed to unleash “hell”. Usyk, meanwhile, recited a poem and a rap. That might have foreshadowed the dynamic of this main event rather well: Dubois, as his coach Don Charles has admitted, must make this a chaotic affair. In contrast, Usyk will likely employ his usual artistry to undo his challenger and put Dubois himself through hell. Agonised by the grave matter of war in his homeland and the more trivial factor of frustration with Fury, Usyk will be riled up in Wroclaw. If any fighter can master that emotion and harness it wisely, it is Usyk. Read More Usyk vs Dubois live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend The misleading narrative of Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois KSI vs Tommy Fury press conference features flipped tables and thrown cake as Logan Paul and Dillon Danis get heated Underdog Daniel Dubois looks back in bid to take big step forward Daniel Dubois misses Ryanair flight ahead of Usyk fight Shock Daniel Dubois win is only chance of undisputed fight – David Haye

Brentford want to tie Ivan Toney down to a new contract and will not let him leave the club amid his eight-month ban from football.

Roberto De Zerbi is braced for a summer of hard work as Europa League-bound Brighton set about building a squad capable of competing on four fronts. The Seagulls will play continental football for the first time in their 122-year history next term, in addition to their Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup commitments. Albion wrapped up a record-breaking sixth-placed finish ahead of Sunday’s climax at Aston Villa, despite operating with a relatively small player pool, particularly during a congested run-in. Head coach De Zerbi does not believe the club require a raft of new arrivals to be ready for the forthcoming European tour. Yet the former Shakhtar Donetsk boss is determined to add depth and quality to his squad, especially if in-demand pair Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister are sold. “Monday starts the toughest period in my season because without football it is difficult,” he said. “I am looking forward to starting the next pre-season. I think we have to work in this holiday because we have to build a new squad to prepare for the new season. “I think we don’t need so many players. “We have to understand if Caicedo, Mac Allister (are sold) – I don’t know which players can leave – then we have to bring very good players because next season will be tougher than this one.” Brighton defied all expectations during a remarkable campaign by breaking into the top six and reaching the FA Cup semi-finals. Graham Potter oversaw the Seagulls’ strong start before De Zerbi scaled new heights following his predecessor’s departure to Chelsea in September. The Italian is unsure how much financial backing he will receive in the coming months and insists the scale of the summer overhaul will depend on the number of outgoings. “I can speak only about the characteristics, the quality of players,” he said. “Money is not my job. “For sure I can tell you we have to have a stronger squad, a bigger squad because we will play in four competitions. “And we have to be ready to compete in our way in these four competitions because we arrived with 14, 15 players in the crucial part of the season. “The next year will be tougher because in the history of the Premier League it can happen that clubs achieve Europa League and the next year you have to fight to avoid relegation.”

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Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova says she's “just a normal person” because she likes to eat chocolate and eat McDonald's during a Grand Slam tournament

Ramaswamy wants Tucker Carlson, Elon Musk and Joe Rogan to moderate GOP debates.

Manchester City defender John Stones face a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering an injury in Tuesday's 3-0...

Christine Sinclair hopes her sixth appearance at the Women's World Cup will finally land Canada the elusive title