The International Boxing Hall of Fame Parade of Champions this summer will be taking place on Sunday, June 8th. The event will be taking place in the streets of Canastota, New York.
It is an event used to celebrate and recognize boxing’s greats. It is expected to be graced by over 35 of the greats from both the United States and abroad.
This year's inductees for the class of 2025 include Manny Pacquiao, Vinny Paz, and referee Kenny Bayless among many others.
Actress Sydney Sweeney, 27 years old, famously from TV shows such as Euphoria, Madam Web, and Anyone but You has been chosen as the grand marshal for this year’s annual Parade of Champions.
Sweeney has gotten involved in boxing after she was recently cast to play the role of Christy Martin in an upcoming biopic. Christy Martin was part of the Class of 2020’s Hall of Fame which was the first class to include female boxers.
In the biopic, Sweeney plays the role of Christy Martin telling the story of what the female boxer has gone through and struggled with in and out of the ring. It tells the detailed abuse Martin suffered outside the ring in the hands of her then-husband Jim Martin who also doubled up as her manager.
Jim Martin stabbed and shot Christy back in 2010 leaving her for dead, he was later arrested and convicted of attempted murder and is still in prison to date.
The Boxing Hall of Fame has had a variety of marshals, a mix of musicians, actors, sports personalities, and even local people.
Sweeney and Martin are both excited about this development and could not have come at a better time. With the biopic yet to be released, Martin is excited to see someone playing her in a biopic about her story and having the opportunity to be Grand Marshal. Christy Martin was Marshal for the 1996 Hall of Fame Boxing Parade and was honored for her contributions to the sport in 2020.
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The Cleveland Browns are giving Shedeur Sanders special treatment in training camp, but it's not the type of favoritism the fifth-round pick would necessarily want. Per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN, Sanders is the only Browns quarterback who has not been taking reps with the first-team offense during OTAs or the first two practices of training camp. Former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Kenny Pickett, veteran Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel have all split reps with the first team. Despite being asked to throw passes to members of the equipment staff amid a shortage of professional pass-catchers for a four-quarterback roster, Sanders said he's thankful for the opportunity to show the Browns coaching staff his talents. "I feel like that it's not in my control, so I'm not going to think about that or even have that in my thought process of why it is," Sanders said to a question as to why he's not getting first-team reps. "There's a lot of people who want to have the opportunity to be at this level, and I'm here and I'm thankful to have the opportunity. So, whenever that is, that is." Sanders, 23, believes that he can contribute more to the Browns than what the coaching staff is asking of him. "It doesn't make me feel down or left out because I know who I am as a person," Sanders said. "I know who I am as an individual and I know what I could bring to this team. So, I can never feel less than any circumstance." The Browns selected Sanders with the No. 144 pick in April's draft. As a player whom many draft analysts thought was a first-round talent, Cleveland took what could be the steal of the draft in the fifth round. It's curious why the Browns aren't giving Sanders a shot with the first team early in training camp before the quarterback race becomes more serious. Cleveland should absolutely see what Sanders has to offer this summer. Flacco, 40, isn't a long-term solution at the position. Pickett failed in Pittsburgh. The Browns need to gauge what rookies Gabriel and Sanders can do with the first team. Having Sanders throw balls to the equipment staff is a waste of everyone's time. But then again, Cleveland has wasted plenty of quarterbacks.
Right fielder Aaron Judge is not in the New York Yankees' starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. Manager Aaron Boone told reporters that Judge is dealing with an elbow issue, and that the 33-year-old superstar had trouble throwing the ball in from the outfield on Friday. Judge has undergone imaging, but he is still awaiting results. The severity of the injury, as well as the potential timetable for his return, is still unknown. Judge went 0-for-3 in the Yankees' 12-5 series-opening loss to the Phillies. He is batting .143 with a .600 OPS over his last eight games. Even taking that slump into account, Judge leads MLB with a .342 batting average, 1.160 OPS and 6.8 WAR through 103 games in 2025. He has racked up 37 home runs, 24 doubles, 85 RBIs and 90 runs, making him the heavy favorite to repeat as AL MVP. Judge missing any amount of time could give Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh a bump in the awards race, though, on top of hurting the Yankees' chances in the AL Wild Card race. New York reached the World Series for the first time in 15 years last October, but now boasts the ninth-best record in baseball.
Shortly after former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback and current college football analyst Greg McElroy shared that someone "in the know" believes there's a possibility Nick Saban — who retired in January 2024 — might return to coaching, NFL insider Albert Breer suggested that the Dallas Cowboys could be a potential destination for the seven-time national champion. According to Mike Rodak of 247Sports, Saban was asked during a Friday appearance on Fox News if he intends to come out of retirement. "No, I'm really happy with what I'm doing right now," Saban responded. "It's exciting to still be involved in the game. It's exciting for me to work with athletic directors, conference commissioners, people in Congress to preserve the integrity of our game and continue to be able to create opportunities to help young people create value for their future that will help them be successful in their life, which is what we always try to do as a coach." Saban, now working as an ESPN analyst, will be 74 in October. Per Christian Datoc of the Washington Examiner, President Donald Trump could consider having Saban "lead a new commission examining problems arising with the growth of name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights and coinciding changes to the NCAA transfer process." Meanwhile, it's thought that Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones could look to hire a big-name candidate if first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer fails to impress during the 2025 campaign. Additionally, Fox Sports personality Colin Cowherd recently hinted that Saban could be interested in becoming the head coach of the Cleveland Browns if the team selects Texas quarterback Arch Manning as the first pick in the 2026 draft. "There is no opportunity that I know of right now that would enhance me to go back to coaching," Saban added during Friday's segment. "I enjoy what I'm doing. I did it for 50 years. I loved it. I loved the relationships with the players. I loved the competition. But it's another station of life now. I enjoy what I'm doing right now and want to continue to do it — spend more time with my family, my grandchildren, my children. It's been really, really good." The "right now" portion of Saban's comments attracted the attention of Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, who was quick to point out he did not say "no for good" regarding a return to coaching. In short, it seems that rumors about Saban's future could hover over the college and pro football communities through at least the rest of the year.
The Boston Red Sox appear to have no interest in trading outfielder Jarren Duran, at least not in the near future. Trade rumors have swirled around Duran for most of the season, especially after designated hitter Rafael Devers was traded to the Giants. However, Sean McAdam from MassLive reported that the Red Sox may wait until the offseason before moving on from the former All-Star. The decision to wait on Duran is not due to a lack of offers. McAdam also reported that the Padres made a significant offer for Duran involving pitcher Dylan Cease, catching prospect Ethan Salas and another unnamed prospect. That offer was quickly rejected. The Padres have long coveted Duran. McAdam had previously reported that the Padres have been "relentless" in their pursuit of the Red Sox outfielder. The reported trade offer including Salas, the Padres second-best prospect and the 21st-best prospect in baseball per MLB.com, illustrates how serious they are about acquiring Duran. Likewise, the Red Sox's refusal to entertain such an offer, even as a starting point for negotiations, speaks volumes about their interest in moving Duran. The Padres' offer would help solve several problems for the Red Sox in both the present and future. Moving Duran would help clear up the logjam in the outfield, while Cease and Salas would respectively improve the back of their rotation and provide a possible cornerstone behind the plate going forward. Duran is a valuable trade chip as he is under team control through 2028. He has also taken a step back in production from his stellar showing in 2024, posting a respectable .254/.321/.428 batting line in 459 plate appearances entering Friday, with nine homers and 25 doubles while stealing 16 bases. That production would be an upgrade for several teams looking to improve their outfield going forward. The question is whether or not the Red Sox will be realistic in their asking price for Duran. Considering how quickly the Padres' offer was reportedly rejected, that may not be the case.
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