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The long-standing rivalry between Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn took another dramatic turn as Eubank Jr publicly refused to shake Benn’s hand, branding him a “cheat.” The incident occurred during a press event promoting their much-anticipated fight, reigniting discussions about Benn’s past doping controversy, despite it being a case that has now been largely resolved.
Eubank Jr., never one to shy away from a verbal battle, stood firm in his decision, refusing to extend any gesture of respect towards Benn. The moment stunned fans and media alike, further intensifying the already heated buildup to their bout.
Benn’s Doping Controversy Still Haunts Him
Benn’s career took a hit in 2022 when he tested positive for a banned substance, leading to the cancellation of his scheduled fight with Eubank Jr at the time. Despite his efforts to clear his name and the fact that he has now been reinstated to fight, the controversy still lingers in the minds of many, including Eubank Jr. Eubank Jr. addressed the matter bluntly saying His remarks left Benn visibly frustrated, as he has repeatedly maintained his innocence and worked towards moving past the scandal. The British Boxing Board of Control and other governing bodies have since allowed him to fight, but for some, like Eubank Jr., the stain remains.
Benn Fires Back at Eubank Jr’s Accusations
Unwilling to let Eubank Jr’s words go unchallenged, Benn quickly fired back. Benn has spent the past year fighting for his career, training tirelessly, and focusing on getting back in the ring. Many of his supporters argue that he has done enough to move forward, but Eubank Jr. remains one of his harshest critics.
The verbal battle between the two fighters only adds more intrigue to their upcoming fight, with fans now more eager than ever to see them settle their differences inside the ring. This latest spat is just another chapter in the long-standing animosity between the two boxers. Their fathers, Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn, shared one of British boxing’s most legendary rivalries, and their sons seem to be following in their footsteps. The refusal to shake hands is symbolic of the bad blood between them. While some see it as a mere publicity stunt to generate interest in the fight, others believe that Eubank Jr.’s comments reflect genuine resentment.
With fight night fast approaching, the tension is expected to reach new heights. Whether or not Benn can earn Eubank Jr’s respect remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: when the two finally step into the ring, neither will be holding back.
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NFL Legend Terry Bradshaw Shares Big Personal News
There is no doubt about Terry Bradshaw being one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL. The fact that he led the Pittsburgh Steelers to no less than four Super Bowl wins in the span of six years during the 1970s is an undeniable testament to this fact. Since his retirement in 1983, Bradshaw has been able to establish himself as a top NFL broadcaster. He’s been a staple for “Fox NFL Sunday,” providing his unique brand of commentary since 1994. Bradshaw has not limited himself to sportscasting in his post-NFL career. He’s starred in his own reality show, “The Bradshaw Bunch,” has gotten into horse racing and even has his own small-batch whisky brand, Bradshaw Bourbon. On Wednesday, the 77-year-old shared some big personal news. This comes in the form of his new cookbook, “The Bradshaw Family Cookbook,” which was released on Tuesday. Bradshaw announced it in collaboration with the official Instagram page of his reality show. “From our kitchen to yours The Bradshaw Family Cookbook is here, y’all! “Our new cookbook is packed with recipes full of heart, flavor, and a little Bradshaw fun. What are you most excited to try?” the post read. According to the publisher’s website, the cookbook aims to “celebrate the great American tradition of food, family, and football.” It is authored by Bradshaw himself, along with his wife, Tammy Bradshaw, their daughters, Lacey and Rachel Bradshaw, as well as his son-in-law, chef Noah Hester. The book contains nearly 100 recipes, which range from game-day classics to Southern-style dishes. This includes Terry “Bradshaw Beans,” spicy pork canoes with cilantro sour cream and buttermilk pecan pie, to name a few. As it turns out, Bradshaw is not only a legend on the field and a revered sportscaster. He’s also a whiz in the kitchen, and he’s now sharing his personal recipes with the rest of the world.
Bombshell report expands on culture issues within 0-2 Dolphins
A Wednesday report shared that the Miami Dolphins "did a lot of work in the offseason to try to transform their team culture" before they opened the ongoing campaign with back-to-back losses. For a lengthy piece published on Thursday, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN expanded on alleged culture issues that have impacted the Dolphins under head coach Mike McDaniel, who has been in his role since 2022. Mike McDaniel hasn't run a tight ship with Dolphins "Multiple sources in and around the team said tardiness was an issue throughout this past season," Louis-Jacques revealed. "...One current Dolphins player said he believed some captains this past season took advantage of the role. [Cornerback Jalen Ramsey] and wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who were two of the eight players voted captains in 2024, were among repeat offenders who received numerous fines throughout the season. Players were often late to practice and meetings, with multiple team sources suggesting it reflected a lack of respect for the first-time coach McDaniel -- who was hesitant to publicly admonish players outside of posting fines." On Wednesday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler noted that Dolphins players "believe the culture is better after the franchise moved on from several key players, many of whom did not appear happy there." Specifically, Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith were traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a pick swap in June. Safety Jevon Holland left the Dolphins and signed with the New York Giants in free agency. As for Hill, questions about his dedication to the cause arose when he subbed himself out of Miami's regular-season finale and then told reporters that he was "out" this past January. He later publicly apologized for his actions but has remained the subject of trade rumors through September. Are McDaniel and Dolphins general manager Chris Grier on the hot seat? Whispers throughout the offseason suggested Dolphins owner Stephen Ross could part ways with McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier if the club finished this season without at least a playoff appearance. McDaniel has yet to guide the Dolphins to a single postseason win, and his team was coming off an 8-9 campaign before it dropped two straight games this month. "A source familiar with Ross' thinking told ESPN this offseason they don't believe McDaniel's and Grier's job security is as simple as 'playoffs or bust,' and reiterated that sentiment after Week 1," Louis-Jacques wrote. "...Although there is a limit to [Ross'] patience with the team's results. After a winless start to the 2025 season, and prime-time games against division opponents coming, there will be increased outside attention on how far Ross' patience will stretch." As of Thursday morning, ESPN BET had the winless Dolphins as massive 11.5-point road underdogs for Thursday night's game at the 2-0 Buffalo Bills. One can't help but wonder how Ross may react if Miami gets blown out at Buffalo's Highmark Stadium.
Chargers star Khalil Mack's outlook is better than expected
Los Angeles Chargers outside linebacker Khalil Mack will be out for a few weeks after dislocating his elbow during Monday night’s matchup with the Raiders, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Who will take Khalil Mack's place for the Los Angeles Chargers? The injury is not season-ending, but Los Angeles will need one of its depth outside linebackers to take Mack’s place for the time being. That will likely be veteran Bud Dupree, who replaced Mack on Monday and has significantly more experience than third-year UDFA Caleb Murphy or fourth-round rookie Kyle Kennard. At the moment, it seems unlikely that the Chargers will make a signing to bolster their OLB depth. Mack’s injury is not expected to be long-term, and the pool of free-agent edge-rushers has suddenly dried up after both Preston Smith and Jadeveon Clowney signed with new teams this week. The Chargers did host their rival's former draft bust on a visit. Instead, the Chargers’ plan will likely be as follows: Dupree will start, with Murphy receiving a bump in snaps as the No. 3 edge-rusher and Kennard making his NFL debut after two healthy scratches to start the year. The team was comfortable with only four active outside linebackers in Weeks 1 and 2, so it may not feel the need to make an elevation from the practice squad. Mack, 34, was quiet in Week 1 against the Chiefs but looked better on Monday with one sack and one tackle for loss in Las Vegas. He re-signed with the Chargers this offseason on a one-year, $18M deal after six sacks in 2024.
Commanders' under-the-radar veteran is stepping up to fix massive weakness
Daron Payne missed the NFC Championship game in 2024. He had battled through a dislocated thumb to help the Washington Commanders win their first two games in the postseason. Standing just one game away from the Super Bowl, a bad knee dashed his hopes of getting another shot at the Philadelphia Eagles. Looking back, we can now see how Washington’s brain trust viewed their roster moving forward, though it may not have been immediately apparent at the time. Payne had been the one constant on the defensive line interior, playing on almost 70 percent of the snaps. Four other players logged between 23 and 48%. Jonathan Allen was a unique case because he was hurt most of the year. Though he played fewer than 30% of the snaps, once healthy, he resumed his regular starting role. He would be playing significant minutes in that final Eagles game. But without Payne, who would be lining up next to him? On paper, Payne’s primary replacement should have been Johnny Newton, the highly-touted second-round draft pick who had been showing improvement since getting fully healthy. He was next on the depth chart and had been Allen’s primary replacement when the veteran was injured. Commanders are getting some good early returns from free-agent signing Eddie Goldman Or it might have been Sheldon Day, another veteran journeyman who had filled in admirably when Allen was out. He graded out as Washington’s best defensive tackle according to Pro Football Focus, although that wasn't a high bar. That’s not entirely true because another veteran journeyman, who only played a handful of snaps during the year, did have a higher grade than Day. That was Carl Davis Jr., who signed with Washington in midseason and played a total of 43 snaps heading into the playoffs. When it came time to choose Payne’s primary replacement, Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. went with Davis. He played almost as many snaps as Newton and Day combined in that championship game. Why? It isn’t hard to make a guess. Day is 6-foot-1 and 285 pounds. Newton is listed at 6-foot-2 and 295 pounds. Davis is 6-foot-5 and 335 pounds. When going up against the Eagles' massive offensive line, Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. recognized they needed more size. They were overpowered anyway, but the takeaway was not that size didn’t matter. They needed more quality size on the defensive front. Adam Peters made his first move in that direction by paying above-market for Javon Kinlaw. Around the same time, he signed Eddie Goldman. Goldman’s signing didn’t raise many eyebrows at first. A Washington native who had sat out 2020 due to COVID and the 2022 season after announcing his retirement, he made a return to the Atlanta Falcons for the 2024 campaign. He also played well enough to draw Peters’ interest. Still, he seemed like a long shot to have any real impact. After all, since the 2019 season, Goldman had recorded a total of 38 tackles in the NFL. But as training camp merged into preseason, it seemed as if Goldman had a spot on the roster. Day and Davis were still around. Rookie Ricky Barber flashed potential. But more often than not, he was sharing snaps with Kinlaw, Payne, and the rest of Washington's starters. That has continued in the regular season. Payne and Kinlaw are the clear starters, but Goldman has been on the field for almost 40 percent of the defensive snaps, playing more than Newton through the first two games. When the Commanders go to a three-man front, he is lined up at nose tackle. Goldman currently boasts an elite Pro Football Focus grade of 83.5, fourth best among all defensive linemen in the league. He is rated fifth best against the run. Those numbers need to be taken with a grain of salt. Goldman is not the fourth-best defensive lineman in the NFL. But they do indicate he is playing very well. Last season, Washington’s run defense was a liability, surrendering almost five yards per carry. This season, they have that number down to under four. The real tests are still to come. Most importantly, we will have to see how well the new line holds up against Philadelphia. But the early results for Goldman, who was essentially finished with football two years ago, are looking promising.
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