Sports

Joshua knocks out Pulev, edges closer to dream fight against Tyson Fury

Published

6 years ago

December 13, 2020

Anthony Joshua floors Kubrat Pulev three times in a spiteful and vicious performance that would have grabbed Tyson Fury’s attention, reports Skysports.

Joshua knocked his opponent out in the ninth round of their world heavyweight championship fight at The SSE Arena, Wembley, on Saturday night.

He floored Pulev heavily on three occasions, twice in the final round, and ended the fight with a vicious right hand to retain his IBF, WBA and WBO titles.

The explosive performance from Joshua would have demanded the attention of Tyson Fury – they remain on a collision course to decide an undisputed champion in 2021.

Undefeated WBC champion Fury holds the only major belt outside of Joshua’s grip and a meeting between them would be the biggest match in world boxing – after delivering this thrilling knockout in front of a crowd of 1,000 people plus boxing great Floyd Mayweather, Joshua moved a step closer to making it a reality.

His first fight since avenging a shock defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr a year ago would have ended explosively in the third round had his challenger Pulev not possessed a warrior-like determination to continue when he was felled, but there was no escaping the eventual knockout.

Joshua barely broke eye contact with his challenger from the moment he strode over the top rope and into the ring, then their pre-fight fist bump was aggressive and intense.

When the punches began flying, Joshua landed a series of jabs and Pulev clipped him back with a left hook.

When Joshua let his hands go for the first time with a four-punch salvo in the second round, Pulev smiled sarcastically back at him.

Joshua smashed Pulev with a perfectly-timed right hand in the third round that badly hurt his challenger.

Joshua hunted him, desperate for the knockout, and landed a brutal barrage of uppercuts and hooks which eventually toppled Pulev to the canvas.

It seemed likely to be all over but Pulev, whose only previous loss in 29 fights was against Wladimir Klitschko, survived to the bell after which he threw an illegal shot that fizzed past the champion’s face.

Joshua, eyes bulging and tongue out, stared a hole through Pulev and spoke to him as the next round was set to begin.

He regained his composure and, in the fifth, cracked home a big right hand which didn’t budge Pulev, who ended the round strongly after some feisty back-and-forth trash talk.

A spiteful fight became gritty and rugged in the sixth when Pulev began winging wild swings that didn’t hit their target, but did force ugly exchanges.

Three consecutive uppercuts from Joshua hurt Pulev in the seventh but still the tough Bulgarian would not cede ground.

Pulev then landed his best punch, a straight right hand, in the eighth.

But Joshua closed the show in the ninth with another colossal uppercut which crumpled Pulev to the floor for the second time.

Still Pulev rose but a right hand from Joshua sent him flying backwards and split his lip bloodily, ending the fight in a flash.

The fight that the boxing world now craves is Joshua vs Fury – they each have other challengers circling, Oleksandr Usyk and Deontay Wilder respectively – but the two Brits putting every heavyweight belt on the line would be an historic occasion.

Sports

EPL: Chelsea Hand Manchester United 2-0 Defeat to Deepen Carrick’s Crisis

Published

7 hours ago

October 31, 2026

Trends Admin

EPL: Chelsea Hand Manchester United 2-0 Defeat to Deepen Carrick’s Crisis

Chelsea compounded Manchester United’s difficult start to the season with a 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, leaving manager Michael Carrick under mounting pressure as the Red Devils’ winless run stretched to nine matches in all competitions.

Goals from Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer secured the victory for Chelsea, who moved provisionally into fourth place on the Premier League table with 16 points from nine matches.

Manchester United, meanwhile, remained in 16th position with seven points, just one point above the relegation zone, after suffering another damaging defeat.

The result further intensified scrutiny of Carrick, whose side have now gone nine games without a victory, recording six defeats and three draws during the run. It is the club’s longest winless sequence in all competitions since the 1988-89 season.

Despite the final scoreline, Manchester United began the encounter with some attacking promise and created opportunities to take the lead.

The visitors thought they had broken the deadlock through Matheus Cunha, but the effort was ruled out for offside. Chelsea also had a first-half goal from young forward Estêvão Willian disallowed for the same reason.

United continued to threaten, with Bruno Fernandes, Amad Diallo and Cunha involved in promising attacking moves, but they failed to convert their opportunities.

Chelsea eventually took control shortly after the restart when Rogers produced an impressive individual effort to put the hosts ahead in the 50th minute.

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The forward collected a pass from Roméo Lavia, drove towards the United defence and worked his way past Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martínez before lifting the ball over goalkeeper Senne Lammens.

The goal shifted the momentum in Chelsea’s favour, while Manchester United’s task became considerably more difficult when Martínez was sent off in the 63rd minute.

The Argentine defender received a second yellow card following an incident in which he appeared to elbow Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana. The decision followed a review by the match officials.

Chelsea were awarded a penalty from the incident, and Palmer converted from the spot in the 64th minute to double the hosts’ advantage.

The goal effectively ended United’s hopes of mounting a comeback, particularly after they were reduced to 10 players.

Chelsea continued to search for more goals, with Estêvão having another effort ruled out for offside. Manchester United also threatened late in the encounter, but Bryan Mbeumo struck the crossbar during stoppage time.

The victory provided Chelsea with a much-needed boost after consecutive defeats in the league and cup, while strengthening their position among the early contenders for a top-four finish.

For Manchester United, however, the defeat raised further questions about the team’s direction and Carrick’s ability to halt the alarming decline.

With the club struggling to turn performances into victories, pressure is expected to increase on the manager as the season progresses.

Chelsea will next travel to face Sunderland on November 8, while Manchester United are scheduled to visit Aston Villa on the same day.

EPL: Chelsea Hand Manchester United 2-0 Defeat to Deepen Carrick’s Crisis

Sports

Liverpool Survive Chelsea Penalty Drama to Reach Carabao Cup Quarter-Finals

Published

3 days ago

October 29, 2026

Trends Admin

Liverpool Survive Chelsea Penalty Drama to Reach Carabao Cup Quarter-Finals

Liverpool have booked their place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals after defeating Chelsea 6-5 on penalties following a tense 1-1 draw at Anfield.

The encounter on Wednesday saw both teams battle for control, with the contest eventually decided by a penalty shootout that ended Chelsea’s hopes of progressing in the competition.

Chelsea moved ahead through a penalty converted by Morgan Rogers after Ryan Gravenberch fouled Moisés Caicedo. Liverpool responded with a spot-kick of their own, converted by Cody Gakpo after Wesley Fofana handled the ball inside the penalty area.

The two sides continued to search for a winning goal, but neither could find a breakthrough before the end of regulation time. Goalkeepers Giorgi Mamardashvili and Mike Penders made important saves to keep their teams in contention.

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The tie consequently went to penalties, where Liverpool held their nerve to secure a 6-5 victory. Joe Gomez converted the decisive kick for the hosts, while Fofana sent his effort over the crossbar, sealing Chelsea’s elimination.

The result sent Liverpool into the last eight of the Carabao Cup, keeping their hopes of winning the domestic knockout competition alive.

Liverpool will now turn their attention to the quarter-finals, where they are scheduled to face Bournemouth in the week commencing December 14, 2026.

The dramatic victory underlined the fine margins in knockout football, as Liverpool advanced after a closely contested encounter that could not be settled during normal time.

Liverpool Survive Chelsea Penalty Drama to Reach Carabao Cup Quarter-Finals

Sports

Outrage as Police Respond to Dispute Involving 3-Year-Old Soccer Prodigy Accused of Outshining Older Players

Published

4 days ago

October 27, 2026

Trends Admin

US Police Release Bodycam Footage After Dispute Over Three-Year-Old Soccer Prodigy

Outrage as Police Respond to Dispute Involving 3-Year-Old Soccer Prodigy Accused of Outshining Older Players

A three-year-old boy’s remarkable football skills have sparked a social media storm in Florida, United States, after police officers responded to a dispute between his family and officials of a youth soccer league.

The incident involving the young player, Nevada Pierre, reportedly occurred at a youth soccer programme in Winter Park, near Orlando, and has generated widespread debate over how talented children should be treated in grassroots sports.

Videos shared by the boy’s family on social media showed Nevada dribbling past older children, controlling the ball confidently and scoring goals during a match against players reportedly around five years old.

The footage attracted significant attention after his parents alleged that he was being excluded from the league because of his outstanding performance.

However, the controversy took a different turn when police officers arrived at the playing field following a complaint by a league official about an alleged disturbance involving the child’s parents.

The incident subsequently went viral, with many social media users questioning why police had been called during a dispute involving a three-year-old footballer.

Nevada’s parents maintained that their son was being unfairly treated because of his ability to play football at a level they considered advanced for his age.

His mother, Martasia Griffin, disputed the suggestion that her family’s conduct was responsible for the incident, insisting that the disagreement centred on the treatment of her son.

In footage of the confrontation, Griffin was heard telling an officer that the league was effectively removing her son because he was good at football.

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She questioned why a child who had been enrolled to play the game would be prevented from participating because of his performance.

The family also shared footage of Nevada playing during the match, with his father heard expressing frustration that police officers had become involved in the dispute.

The videos triggered an outpouring of reactions online, with some users expressing sympathy for the youngster and questioning whether his talent had contributed to the controversy.

Others called for a more balanced assessment of the incident, particularly because the child was playing alongside older children and was still at a very early stage of development.

However, the league official involved in the incident offered a different explanation to responding officers.

According to body-camera footage reported by US media, the official acknowledged that Nevada was exceptionally good at football but alleged that the youngster sometimes pushed other children while competing for the ball.

He told officers that the child was more advanced than the other players and scored frequently, but maintained that concerns about physical conduct during play had to be addressed.

The official also alleged that Nevada’s parents had become confrontational over decisions concerning their son’s playing time and the coach’s efforts to rotate players so that other children could participate.

He reportedly told officers that tensions had arisen during an earlier match after Nevada was substituted to give other children playing time.

The league official said he wanted the family to leave the programme and offered to refund their registration fees.

The parents disputed the official’s account and maintained that their son was being unfairly singled out because of his football ability.

The competing accounts have become central to the controversy, with neither side’s allegations establishing, on their own, the full circumstances surrounding the disagreement.

The Winter Park Police Department subsequently issued a statement addressing claims circulating online about the incident.

According to the department, officers were contacted by a soccer league official seeking assistance over a disturbance between league personnel and the parents of a player.

Police said the league had requested that the family leave and offered to refund the registration fees.

The department explained that, after officers arrived, the league official asked them to communicate with the family because he did not want the disagreement to escalate further.

The family told the officers that the game had ended and that they were leaving, according to the police account.

The department described the parents as cooperative and said the incident was a civil matter rather than a criminal case.

It specifically rejected claims that anyone had been arrested, formally trespassed or forcibly removed from the park.

The clarification came amid widespread online commentary suggesting that the police had been called on the child because he was too talented to compete against the other players.

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Although the officers responded to the scene, the police account indicated that their involvement centred on the disagreement between the league official and the child’s parents, rather than any criminal allegation against the three-year-old.

The incident has also drawn the attention of i9 Sports, the youth sports organisation associated with the programme.

In a statement reported by US media, the organisation said it was aware of concerns being raised about an incident at one of its local programmes and was taking the matter seriously.

It said it had contacted the family and begun reviewing the circumstances, including speaking with those involved.

The organisation also stressed the importance of treating every child and family respectfully, adding that it would not speculate or share unverified information while its review was ongoing.

The review is expected to help clarify the circumstances surrounding the disagreement and the decisions made about the youngster’s participation.

The controversy has generated widespread reactions on social media, with several prominent personalities expressing support for Nevada and calling for opportunities to nurture his talent.

Children’s entertainer and educator Rachel Accurso, popularly known as Ms Rachel, publicly expressed interest in having the youngster appear on her show and called on prominent sports figures to support him.

Former American football quarterback Robert Griffin III also criticised the controversy, adding to the growing online discussion about the treatment of the child.

Former United States soccer international Eddie Johnson has also offered Nevada an opportunity to develop his skills through a training programme, according to reports.

The expressions of support have raised hopes that the incident could ultimately open new opportunities for the young player rather than discourage him from pursuing the sport.

Nevertheless, the dispute has also prompted broader questions about competition, playing time, discipline and the responsibilities of adults involved in children’s sports.

Nevada’s case has reignited discussion about how youth sports programmes should accommodate children whose abilities differ significantly from those of their teammates.

While some parents may welcome a gifted child’s ability to dominate a match, coaches are also responsible for encouraging teamwork, ensuring fair participation and protecting the safety of all players.

At the same time, critics argue that children should not be discouraged from developing their abilities simply because they perform better than their peers.

The circumstances surrounding Nevada’s case remain contested, particularly over whether his playing style, his parents’ alleged conduct or a combination of factors led to the disagreement.

What is established, however, is that police responded to a dispute at the youth soccer programme, no one was arrested, and the organisation has begun reviewing the incident.

For many observers, the episode serves as a reminder that children’s sporting activities should prioritise development, fair play and enjoyment, with disagreements handled in a way that protects young players from unnecessary distress.