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Garcia, Who Declared Retirement, Says He’d Like To Return To Boxing Telecom Asia
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For at least a year, there have been persistent rumors that Raúl Ruidíaz could return to Peru to play for Universitario — the team where he got his professional start and is considered a bit of a club legend — as they celebrate their centennial next month. This has always been considered a long shot, but recently was given some credence by journalists in Peru who claim Ruidíaz is “doing his part” to make a move happen.”El tema con Ruidíaz sigue avanzando. El jugador está poniendo de su parte y pronto tendremos más novedades”Información de @Gustavo_p4#L1Radio🎙⚽👉 https://t.co/A3agmo3Ub2 pic.twitter.com/XIwxuk7s6f— L1 MAX (@L1MAX_) July 11, 2024
What does “doing his part” mean? Good question, but it strikes me as more public relations than anything actionable.From everything I’ve been told, the Sounders are not interested in buying out Ruidíaz, who has about $1.2 million remaining on his contract, nor are they willing to effectively pay him to play somewhere else. The reality is that even if Ruidíaz has lost his starting spot, he’s still been reasonably productive — he’s tied for the team lead with eight goals — and recently has looked pretty good off the bench. Unless the Sounders are planning to make use of the Designated Player spot that Ruidíaz currently occupies, losing him is a net negative.Still, I do think they’d be willing to let him out of his contract early if that’s what he wanted, but I suspect he’s only willing to do that if Universitario is planning to effectively make him whole on their end. I’ve seen nothing that indicates they’re prepared to do that.As recently as last month Universitario’s president said signing Ruidíaz was prohibitively expensive and that “today I would say that it is impossible.” My understanding is that the highest paid Universitario players make about 20% of what Ruidíaz is owed. Unless they’re thinking about busting their budget to sign Ruidíaz, he’d need to walk away from about $1 million. I’d be totally shocked if that happened.
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Red Bull KTM Factory Racing confirmed this morning that Pol Espargaró will be back in the category, as a wildcard, in August. At the manufacturer’s home GP, the Spaniard will have his second presence this season, where he will battle with the other drivers and, above all, maintain his work with the team at the Red Bull Ring.
After the summer break, which has barely started, MotoGP will resume at the beginning of August at Silverstone, followed later by the Austrian GP, where Espargaró will be present, in what will be the 11th round of the calendar.
After having been on the track in Italy, the rider admits that he is ready to return and soon on a very special track for KTM, as he explained in a statement: ‘I’m ready to go again! Mugello was a special circuit to make my return for Red Bull KTM but it also doesn’t get much more special than Red Bull Ring. For the track, the place, the fans and the atmosphere and for how much this Grand Prix means to KTM it also feels a bit like a home race for me’.
The Austrian circuit is to the liking of #44, with the driver guaranteeing that he will have fun, but above all, work: ‘I have some good memories of fighting for the win there but, like in Italy, the goal will be to get on the track with the KTM RC16 and continue our testing program. We will have work to do but I know the Austrian GP will also be a lot of fun’.
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Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman have given their thoughts on the idea of Nate Diaz being given an immediate title shot if he returns to the UFC.
Last weekend, Nate Diaz gained a measure of revenge on Jorge Masvidal. He defeated ‘Gamebred’ in their boxing showdown, and it proved to be a pretty entertaining affair. Of course, now, many are wondering what the future holds for him. Some believe it’ll be another boxing match, whereas others are convinced he’ll head back to mixed martial arts.
RELATED: Nate Diaz shoots down the idea of an immediate rematch with Jorge Masvidal, names two fighters he’s interested in
If he does the latter, then you’d have to imagine he will do so with the UFC. In a recent podcast, Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman discussed the possibility of him receiving a title shot after he called out Leon Edwards.
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Cesar Gracie says the UFC must present a very lucrative offer to Nate Diaz if it wants him back.After defeating Jorge Masvidal by majority decision in their boxing match Saturday, UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards was among the names Diaz called out.Diaz parted ways with the UFC in September 2022, but Dana White said the octagon will always be his home. If Diaz was to return to the UFC, his coach expects that he’ll be offered a big bag of money.“Millions and millions of dollars, whatever they’re paying their highest people,” Gracie told Submission Radio. “Nate is such an icon of the sport. He’s fought and deserves the things he’s gotten. He had to get everything the hard way.“He brings star power with him. The event (in Anaheim) was sold out. It was all Nate Diaz over there. No one would have gone to that show without Nate Diaz, so I don’t know. It was so huge. His fan base is so incredible.”With Conor McGregor withdrawing from his return fight against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 due to injury, Gracie would like to see Diaz slide into that opportunity. Diaz and McGregor split their two appearances, and both fighters have always said a trilogy is inevitable.“I mean, obviously that’s outside of my realm what the UFC is thinking,” Gracie said. “So, it’s almost like I’m speculating. But me in my position, I think that would be great. I think a trilogy probably makes a lot of sense for both of those guys.“Chandler and McGregor is a good fight too. But I mean, just the history of Nate and McGregor, I think it would be the bigger fan fight if they had a trilogy. In my opinion, that’s what I’m thinking.”Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie
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Remy Gardner made his return to MotoGP this weekend, more than a year after leaving the class and this absence, he guarantees, took its toll. Furthermore, the Australian highlighted the difference in general terms in speed and intensity in the category, compared to what happens in his current class.
When summing up his race (Sunday), the driver who was in place of the injured Álex Rins commented: ‘Long. My God! You can tell when you’re not racing a Grand Prix. Superbikes are about ten minutes shorter [in terms of race time]. Well, maybe not that much, but you can see it. The last four laps… damn, you might say. And even more so here. There are 30 laps here and it becomes a lot of time. But well, until lap twenty, very positive’.
Looking at his performance, in terms of the pace he was able to set on the Yamaha M1, Gardner even admitted that he was able to surprise himself: ‘I believe everything went as I wanted. In terms of fast laps and such, the truth is that I was faster than I expected. And in terms of normal rhythm, that I don’t know how to manage this, that I don’t have experience, I don’t have tests, I don’t know anything… It’s normal that I don’t know how to manage this’.
However, when looking at the times from Saturday to Sunday, he noticed a difference: ‘But well, just comparing with Saturday and Sunday, I’ve already improved as a rider and we’ve also adjusted the bike and the settings to improve. There is a clear step forward. With more time, it could be something else. The truth is I had a lot of fun this weekend’.
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Key departures
Jeff Skinner, F: Signed a one-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers on July 1 after Buffalo bought out the final three years of his contract. He had 46 points (24 goals, 22 assists) in 74 games last season. … Zemgus Girgensons, F: Signed a three-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 1. Girgensons had 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 63 games last season. … Victor Olofsson, F: Signed a one-year contract with the Vegas Golden Knights on July 2. He had 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 51 games last season. … Eric Robinson, F: Signed a one-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on July 1. He had nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 40 games with the Sabres after he was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets. … Tyson Jost, F: Signed a one-year contract with the Hurricanes on July 1. He had six points (three goals, three assists) in 43 games last season. … Don Granato, coach: Granato was 122-125-27 over three and a half seasons and helped several Sabres players reach career-highs in 2022-23, when Buffalo finished one point out of the second wild card from the Eastern Conference.
On the cusp
Jiri Kulich, F: Kulich, who turned 20 on April 14, led Rochester of the American Hockey League with 27 goals and finished third on the team with 45 points in 57 games and had two assists in five Calder Cup Playoff games. He played in the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic and was named to the AHL Top Prospects Team for a second consecutive season. Kulich, a first-round pick (No. 28) by Buffalo in the 2022 NHL Draft, made his NHL debut as a 19-year-old on Nov. 25 and did not have a point. … Isak Rosen, F: The 21-year-old tied for the Rochester team lead with 50 points (20 goals, 30 assists) in 67 games and had two goals in five playoff games. Selected at No. 14 by the Sabres in the 2021 draft, he made his NHL debut Nov. 25; he played seven games and did not have a point. … Lukas Rousek, F: The 25-year-old had 41 points (10 goals, 31 assists) in 51 games with Rochester and led the team with six points, all assists, in five playoff games. He had two assists in 15 games with the Sabres last season.
What they still need
They could potentially add a top-six winger but believe they can rebound offensively internally. The Sabres are banking on bounce-back seasons from Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, and Dylan Cozens after each dropped off following career seasons in 2022-23 and for young forwards JJ Peterka, Jack Quinn and Zach Benson to take the next step.
They said it
“I’m not concerned about our talent or skill level or our ability to score goals. I believe we have that in our room. We needed to be a team that the roster’s rounded out. … But honestly, we have talent on that roster. We need to play sharper. We need to play more consistent. We need to be more competitive, and I’m not concerned on the offensive part.” — general manager Kevyn Adams
Fantasy focus
This upcoming season provides a breakout opportunity for 22-year-old forward JJ Peterka. who had 50 points (28 goals, 22 assists) in 82 games last season. Peterka has high goal-scoring ability specifically if he plays on their top line with Tage Thompson, who had 56 points (29 goals, 27 assists) in 71 games last season after reaching a career high in 2022-23 with 94 points (47 goals, 47 assists) in 78 games. Peterka should be considered as a 30-goal scorer option in season-long fantasy leagues and be prioritized in dynasty/ keeper leagues. — Anna Dua
Projected lineup
JJ Peterka — Tage Thompson — Alex Tuch
Jason Zucker — Dylan Cozens — Jack Quinn
Zach Benson — Ryan McLeod — Sam Lafferty
Beck Malenstyn — Peyton Krebs — Jordan Greenway
Mattias Samuelsson — Rasmus Dahlin
Bowen Byram — Owen Power
Henri Jokiharju — Connor Clifton
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Devon Levi
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Order must be restored to the world, which is why Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James decided to join this year after a 12-year hiatus from Team USA basketball and the Olympics to bring back the gold to where it belongs. Even at 39 years old, James is the leader and arguably the best player on the team. The Lakers superstar will compete in his fourth Olympics, and this year’s team is arguably the best he will ever be on. That is up for debate, but there’s no doubting his effect on this team and its lasting impact. Team USA has come a long way from their failures in the 2004 Athens Olympics. Since then, Team USA has been a force to be reckoned with, as many view it as their gold medal to lose. James was one of the few players who set that standard. In a press conference with the media after the team’s first practice, James spoke on Team USA basketball’s impact on him and the culture they established all those years ago, starting with Bryan Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski. “I felt like it was important for this summer to go out there and play with the rest of the guys, play with Team USA,” James said. “It’s always been extremely fun; I know ’04 was its own right, but ever since we started getting things back going with Colangelo and Coach K and everybody kinda set the whole precedent back in order, it’s been extremely fun.” LeBron James on playing for Team USA again pic.twitter.com/vpz3QAJY41— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) July 6, 2024In 2004, Team USA baseball had no culture. The culture has been established ever since, and James has been the head of the snake ever since. Although James hasn’t played since 2012, the 2016 and 2020 teams followed that standard, and this 2024 team should be no different. The number of future Hall of Famers on this team is second to none. The rest of the world has no idea what is coming to them, with James, Anthony Davis, and the others leading the way. More Lakers: Watch LeBron James, Anthony Davis Face Off in Pre-Olympics Practice
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It has been eight years since Teuvo Teräväinen had good reason to wear any Chicago Blackhawks apparel, but he held on to at least one item from his Hawks days.“Yep, I found the old hat lying around some corner, so figured to put it on,” said Teräväinen, who wore it during his video conference Tuesday with Chicago reporters.The forward maintained at least some connection to the Hawks even after they traded him to the Carolina Hurricanes on June 15, 2016.So when his contract with the Hurricanes was up this offseason and the Hawks emerged as one of his suitors, he was “excited.”“When I heard they might be interested, I was right away very interested,” he said. “I had a few options but I felt like it’s the right time for me right now.”From the Hawks side, bringing back Teräväinen was one of the highlights among seven new players they signed on the opening day of free agency last week. Forwards Tyler Bertuzzi, Pat Maroon and Craig Smith, defensemen Alec Martinez and TJ Brodie and goaltender Laurent Brossoit also came aboard.The Hawks have made it an offseason mission to surround Connor Bedard with more talent, and Teräväinen will be one of the wingers in the mix.“I haven’t seen him play much but of course I’ve seen all the highlights,” Teräväinen said. “Seems like a pretty good player. Young, for sure, but hopefully I can help him get better. That would be cool to play with him.”Bedard is just one thing about the Hawks that attracted Teräväinen.“Maybe because I knew the city, I have good memories from there,” he said. “I don’t know, just felt it was a good path for me right now. I can join a young team, hopefully I can help them get back to the playoffs, get back to where the good teams are.”Teräväinen was once that young player he’ll now be mentoring.The Hawks drafted him with the 18th pick in 2012, and when the 19-year-old arrived from Finland in 2014, it was current general manager Kyle Davidson — then a hockey operations assistant — who picked him up at O’Hare and chauffeured him around.“I do remember that,” Teräväinen said. “It’s kind of a funny story right now when he’s the GM and not the driver anymore.
Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson talks about having a “full-circle”moment when he signed Teuvo Teravainen, the same prospect he picked up at O’Hare when Davidson was an assistant:
“I don’t even know if he remembers me.” pic.twitter.com/84zPSFPv40
— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) July 5, 2024“I remember I was hanging out with him a little bit. He was driving me around and helping with the small things. I was a young player, I didn’t know anything, I just came from Europe, so it was awesome to have some people to help me out. He seemed like a good guy back then, so it’s not a big surprise where he’s at right now.”During the Hawks’ Stanley Cup run in 2015, Teräväinen played on the third line with Patrick Sharp and Antoine Vermette. He produced a goal and an assist in the third period of the Hawks’ 2-1 nail-biter over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of the Cup Final.Blackhawks left wing Teuvo Teravainen celebrates with the Stanley Cup on June 15, 2015, at the United Center. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)Teräväinen played one more season in Chicago, but in the following offseason, then-GM Stan Bowman found himself in a salary-cap quagmire.Bowman sacrificed Teräväinen in a trade with the Hurricanes in order to get Bryan Bickell’s $4 million cap hit off the books.“I was a young player at that time, but I knew the situation,” Teräväinen said. “They had to move something to get the cap at the right place. I knew something was happening but I didn’t know it was going to be me.“It took a couple of days, but then I was excited about Carolina. Kind of the same situation I’m going to now: young team, trying to get better. At that time it was good for me. I got to play bigger minutes and grow as a player. But, yeah, it took a couple of days to get over the shock at that time.”Teräväinen played eight seasons in Carolina, including playoff appearances the last six seasons.“I learned to play how they play over there,” he said. “It’s been great years over there. I’m turning 30 now (in September) and I should be older and a better player. Hopefully I can bring a little of everything, experience and all-around play.”
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