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Teofimo Lopez and Jaron Ennis appear to be moving closer to a potential matchup. Speculation around the highly anticipated bout has intensified, particularly after WBO super-lightweight champion Lopez hinted at a possible jump to the welterweight division at 147lbs.
Promoter Eddie Hearn recently shared updates on the developing talks regarding a clash between two-belt welterweight titleholder Jaron “Boots” Ennis and current WBO 140-pound champion Teofimo Lopez. In an interview with Fight Hub TV, Hearn expressed interest in the fight and noted ongoing discussions with Turki Alalshikh about making it happen.
“We’ve been talking to His Excellency about Boots against Teofimo, originally it was more October, it could be around August time now. We like the fight,” Hearn said.
“For Boots, after the [Karen] Chukhadzhian] fight, he was really considering a move to ’54. The [Eimantas] Stanionis unification came around and that’s what he wanted to do more than anything [unify the 147 belts]. Now it’s like, ‘do I stay at 147 or do I go to ’54? Can you get me another belt?’ Right now, Brian Norman’s on the missing list, and Mario Barrios is fighting Manny Pacquiao. So, no, is the answer. Okay, so what have we got at ’54? Then out the blue the Teofimo fight comes around. It may not be a massive motivator to Ennis, but it is a big fight. So, my answer is, if Jaron stays at 147, I think there’s a very good chance he’ll fight Teofimo Lopez next.”
Ennis, who holds a perfect record of 34-0 with 30 knockouts, delivered an impressive performance in his April win over Stanionis. Meanwhile, Lopez, now 22-1 with 13 knockouts, secured a comfortable victory against Arnold Barboza Jr earlier this month.
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Orioles Facing Big Issue After Angels Trade
The Baltimore Orioles have started their new era after finishing in last place in the AL East this past season. They hired new manager Craig Albernaz on Oct. 27, who was previously the Cleveland Guardians' associate manager, via MLB.com. The 43-year-old has his work cut out for him, as he's inheriting a squad that ranked 26th in MLB with a 4.60 team ERA and 21st with a .699 OPS, per MLB.com. However, the squad has players worth building around, such as 2024 All-Star shortstop Gunnar Henderson, 2022 No. 1 overall MLB Draft pick Jackson Holliday, and 2021 All-Star pitcher Trevor Rogers. The Orioles made the first trade of the Albernaz era on Tuesday, via their social media. They dealt right-handed pitcher Grayson Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Angels for outfielder Taylor Ward. Rodriguez hasn't pitched since 2024, when he went 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA over 20 games. Meanwhile, Ward was tied for 10th in baseball with 36 homers and tied for 11th with 103 RBIs this past season. However, the Orioles swapped a long-term investment for a short-term one, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. "Taylor Ward is a free agent after the 2026 season," he reported. "Baltimore, which has been looking for pitching, gave up a 26-year-old in Grayson Rodriguez who isn't a free agent until after 2029. He also missed all of the 2025 season with arm issues and is coming off an elbow cleanup." Taylor Ward Trade Doesn't Help Orioles' Pitching While Ward adds pop to Baltimore's lineup, the club still sorely needs pitching help. Dealing Rodriguez, who has 43 starts under his belt and was one of its developmental pieces after it drafted him No. 11 overall in 208, doesn't aid the rotation. The Texas native would've added depth to a unit that could've used it last season. On the bright side, the Orioles have Rogers, who went 9-3 with a 1.81 ERA over 18 starts in 2025. They could also add other hurlers in free agency, including right-hander Chris Bassitt, southpaw Framber Valdez, or right-hander Dylan Cease. Meanwhile, Ward led Los Angeles in RBIs and with 132 hits this past season. The 31-year-old also led the club with 25 homers and 144 hits in 2024. Still, there's no guarantee that Ward will stick around long-term. If the 6-foot, 200-pounder leaves next offseason, the trade won't look good for Baltimore unless it wins the 2026 World Series.
Steve Spurrier has two endorsements for next Florida HC
Steve Spurrier is a legend for the Florida Gators. Known as "the head ball coach" down in SEC-land, Spurrier was a star both as a player and as a coach for Florida. Heck, the dang field in Gainesville is named after him. That means what he says about the Florida program carries a lot of weight, and he recently revealed that he believes there are only two people who would live up to the expectations and be a great fit for the Gators as they look to replace fired head coach Billy Napier sooner rather than later. “I know Lane Kiffin and I know Eli Drinkwitz,” Spurrier recently said, according to Daniel Hager of On3. “Obviously, either one of those guys would be super if it works out. But, it’s a long way from whoever we’re going to get as our coach right now.” The Gators are currently making a full-court press for Lane Kiffin, but they're not alone in their pursuit in the Ole Miss head coach. While the Gators reportedly flew members of Kiffin's family down to Gainesville to check things out recently, the LSU Tigers also pulled the same trick — hoping to get Kiffin to ultimatly come down to Baton Rouge. LSU is probably Florida's biggest competitor for Kiffin right now, but there's also Ole Miss to consider. It's not like the Rebels are going to let a coach who has led them to a 54-19 record over the past six seasons go without a fight. Kiffin would absolutely be a home-run hire for the Gators, though. He's a high-level recruiter and a high-level offensive mind in the SEC. Those are two things that the Gators desperately need in the wake of the middling Napier era. Not only that, but Kiffin has ties to the state. He was the head coach at Florida Atlantic from 2017-19. Eli Drinkwitz an interesting option for Florida if it can't land Lane Kiffin Drinkwitz is another interesting option, though. You'll also notice that there's a trend here for Florida, and that's going after established SEC head coaches. Napier had come from the Sun Belt conference. Drinkwitz has made Missouri a tough out in the SEC and he's won a ton of football games. His overall record at Mizzou is 45-27, though his record in big games does leave a little to be desired. He's 7-14 against ranked opponents and 0-7 against top-10 teams. Still, Drinkwitz is a young coach at just 42, so the upside is there. He's a big personality who does well on the recruiting trail, and he could do a lot of good things with the firepower of the Florida Gators behind him. There are other options out there for Florida. Washington head coach Jedd Fisch is a Florida alumnus, for instance. If Spurrier has narrowed it down to Kiffin and Drinkwitz in his mind, though, you can bet those in power at Florida are likely thinking the same thing.
Adam Schefter: Aaron Rodgers frustrated Steelers let news slip
The Pittsburgh Steelers have an interesting next couple of weeks ahead of them as the organization navigates an injury to starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The four-time league MVP is said to have suffered a slight fracture in a bone in his left wrist, which is luckily his non-dominant wrist. This happened near the end of the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, and the quarterback did not leave the locker room after going in as normal for halftime. Rodgers has not been ruled out for Pittsburgh's Week 12 matchup with the Chicago Bears, and he might not miss any time at all. Throughout the second half of the game against the Bengals, it was made clear that Rodgers had some sort of hand or wrist injury. It was reported later that night that it was "feared" Rodgers may have a slight fracture in his wrist, which is exactly what wound up being the case. Rodgers is typically a very secretive individual, and it is fair to assume that he might not have liked the way that information got out and just how quickly it got out. NFL insider Adam Schefter spoke about this on "Unsportsmanlike" on Tuesday, and he believes Pittsburgh is now tightening things up. "I think what happened, me reading between the lines is, they kind of tightened the circle," Schefter said of the Steelers. "Obviously, Aaron Rogers is a private kind of guy and he probably didn't like initially that even this got out." Pittsburgh is usually pretty secretive as well as an organization, but the injury news got out quick, and Schefter believes that will force the organization to tighten things up moving forward. It is important to keep a player like Rodgers happy, and it is also crucial that he feels comfortable within the organization. As an extremely private individual, he needs to be able to trust those around him, and his injury news getting out so quickly does not help that case. A player's injury news getting out isn't the end of the world. It was going to happen at some point whether Rodgers wanted it to or not. The NFL has rules and protocols in place that force teams to be transparent about injuries to all players. However, this is the second time in roughly two weeks that things have made it to the media involving Rodgers. The injury news was broken quick, and Rodgers was also in tabloids after another player's wife spoke to the media about Rodgers' marriage — which is something he has been adamant about keeping private. Keeping Rodgers happy is crucial to this team having success, which is why Schefter is insinuating that the organization would be tightening things up moving forward. The Steelers are entering a crucial time in the season as the team has some difficult matchups coming up, and all distractions need to be limited as the franchise tries to hang onto the lead in the AFC North. Steelers still not certain who the starting quarterback will be in Week 12 Rodgers has not been ruled out for Pittsburgh's game against Chicago, and there is a chance he could start. It will all depend on how his pain feels throughout the week, and whether or not he can grip the football/take snaps from the center. Mason Rudolph played well in the second half on Sunday in relief of Rodgers, so the coaching staff should feel comfortable in starting Rudolph if that is something that has to happen. Rudolph playing well also takes pressure off of Rodgers rushing his own return, even though he certainly wants to be out on the field in Chicago.
Mets, Brandon Nimmo Trade Development Emerges on Tuesday
The New York Mets are entering the offseason looking to retool the roster with hopes of returning to the MLB playoffs in 2026. The Mets collapsed during the second half of the year, finishing with an 83–79 record. Despite the disappointing end to the year, outfielder Brandon Nimmo remained a bright spot in the lineup. The 32-year-old veteran posted a .262 batting average, .324 on-base percentage, .760 OPS, 25 home runs and 92 RBIs across 155 games. Nimmo has continued to be a reliable player for New York and just finished playing in his tenth season for the organization. The Mets are the only franchise Nimmo has ever known in his professional career since they selected him in the first round of the 2011 MLB Draft. However, that could change following a report on Tuesday from ESPN’s Jeff Passan. “The Mets are blowing up plenty. It's not just Luisangel Acuña or Mark Vientos or Brett Baty — center fielder Brandon Nimmo (who has full no-trade protection) and utilityman Jeff McNeil can also be had,” Passan wrote. Nimmo’s name surfacing as a trade possibility is a genuine surprise given everything he has meant to the organization. At the very least, the Mets are now faced with a decision on whether to explore moving him. As noted, Nimmo has a full no-trade clause, which gives him the final say on any potential deal. He still has five years remaining on the eight-year, $162 million contract he signed with New York in 2023. While the Mets would likely prefer to keep Nimmo’s bat and leadership in the lineup, trading him could help replenish the farm system or address other areas of need, particularly pitching, which was a major weakness in 2025. A deal would also free up significant payroll space, potentially allowing the team to pursue other upgrades, including a possible reunion with first baseman Pete Alonso. The decision to trade Nimmo is not an easy one, but it is certainly intriguing. He will be entering his age-33 season, and offensive players often begin to decline around that point. Whatever the Mets decide, this offseason is shaping up to be a pivotal one for the future of the franchise.
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