Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Cameron Vuong Stuns Jordan Flynn With Dominant Victory
Gareth Copley/Getty Images

With the pair initially set to fight twice before this encounter, the third time was the charm as they had an opportunity to settle their feud in the ring at Planet Ice in Altrincham.

The two had their first encounter planned for April 2024 but this did not happen as Vuong pulled out of the fight due to a suffering a shoulder injury.

The fight had to be pushed forward by two months and for the second time it was not to be as this time it was Flynn that suffered a knee injury in what he said was his final sparring session of camp. With the injury needing surgery, the contest had to be postponed for the second time.

With the third time being the charm, and both fighters having an opportunity to compete for a title for the first time in their professional careers, the long wait proved to be worth it as the pair did not disappoint.

It only took seven rounds for Vuong to take apart his opponent and claim victory to become the WBO European lightweight title holder. Before this match, both fighters were undefeated.

Since those two bouts were cancelled, Vuong has been busy adding up to his winning records with a win at Wembley against Joe Underwood Hughes and more recently against Gavin Gwynne at Resorts World Arena, Birmingham.

During the first round, Vuong, now (8-0, 4 KOs), came out aggressively taking the center of the ring with a long stiff jab, but Flynn now (11-1-1, 1KO) fought back in the hope of asserting himself early.

As the match continued, Vuong grew confident and took advantage of his long jabs managing to knock down Flynn in the third round. In the fifth round Vuong slipped the oncoming attacks well and delivered sharp counters and this was met by cheers from the Altrincham crowd.

In the sixth round Flynn was visibly hurt after he was pushed to a corner followed by a right hand into his face. He tried to take a step back to breathe but the youngster Vuong did not allow that, smashing in a right hand and an uppercut only for Flynn to be helped by the sound of the bell moments later.

It was in the seventh round that right followed by an uppercut lifted Flynn off his feet and the referee Foster decided that he had seen enough therefore jumped in to spare Flynn any further punishment.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST

Jim Nagy and the Oklahoma Sooners are showing they don’t care about any Group of Five school’s feelings for recruits they target
General Sports

Jim Nagy and the Oklahoma Sooners are showing they don’t care about any Group of Five school’s feelings for recruits they target

Since general manager Jim Nagy came to Oklahoma this offseason, he has completely altered the Sooner recruiting and talent acquisition strategies. He is relying less on recruiting rankings and offer lists, and more trusting the staff’s evaluations. It’ll be fascinating to see how successful that strategy is in a couple of years. In the 2026 recruiting class, we have seen that ideology play out time and time again. It appears we may be seeing another instance with Lafayette (La.) Christian Academy wide receiver Brayden Allen, who is currently committed to Tulane. According to Rivals vice president of recruiting Steve Wiltfong, Oklahoma is working hard to get Allen on campus. Here is what he had to say about the Sooner push, and Allen’s relationship with them. “OU has produced a lot of great receivers that I’ve watched over the years and they like to throw the ball, which is what I like,” Allen told Wiltfong. “What stands out to me about OU is how they really want me, they were the first SEC school to get me on a visit and one of the first to recruit me,” he continued. While Allen doesn’t hold an official offer from Oklahoma, the thought is that could change very soon. That is especially true if he solidifies a game visit soon. Colorado is also another school to watch, according to Wiltfong. From a recruiting rankings perspective, Allen isn’t going to excite many. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, the Louisiana native is currently rated as the No. 935 overall player, No. 132 wide receiver, and No. 27 player in the state of Louisiana for the 2026 recruiting class. All of the major recruiting platforms have him rated as a three-star player. While those rankings aren’t overly impressive, the offer list for Allen continues to grow this offseason. Some of his top offers as of today include Ole Miss, Texas Tech, Colorado, Boston College, and Vanderbilt among others. There is a good chance the Sooners get added officially to that list soon. The 6-1, 175-pound pass catcher is a bit raw, but the talent is certainly there. As a junior for Lafayette Christian, Allen managed to haul in 55 receptions for 1,155 yards and 10 touchdowns. That is an average of 21 yards per reception, while also contributing on defense and special teams as well.

Cubs catcher lost to horrific-looking injury on same day he returns from IL
MLB

Cubs catcher lost to horrific-looking injury on same day he returns from IL

After working to return to the Chicago Cubs' lineup following an oblique injury, Miguel Amaya suffered a gruesome-looking injury in his first game back with the Cubs on Wednesday night. Running to first base, Amaya just beat out an infield single on a slow dribbler to shortstop when his left foot landed forcefully on the base, causing his leg to buckle and sending Amaya flying down the first base line. Following the injury, Amaya was carted off the field in Toronto with a towel over his face. The emotions shown by Amaya as he was carted off indicated he knew already he would miss more time in a season that has been marred by injuries. After the game, Cubs manager Craig Counsell confirmed Amaya would be going back on the injured list with what was diagnosed as a left ankle sprain. X-rays, however, were negative. The 26-year-old Amaya had just told reporters after being activated from the 60-day injured list that he was thankful he was healthy. Just three at-bats later, Amaya was once again injured. Amaya's three at-bats against the Blue Jays on Wednesday represented his first game action since May 24, when he recorded just two at-bats against the Cincinnati Reds before leaving the game with an oblique injury. In just 96 at-bats this season, Amaya is slashing .281/.314/.500 with four home runs and 25 RBI. Amaya's injury is another blow for the Cubs, who have seen their lead in the National League Central evaporate as the Milwaukee Brewers have now won 12 consecutive games and are 20-4 since the All-Star break. As has been the case in Amaya's absence, Carson Kelly and Reese McGuire will continue to be the dominant presences behind the plate for the Cubs. Joining with Amaya, the duo has helped the Cubs record a 2.8 Wins Above Average (WAA) at catcher, the highest mark of any MLB team. After Amaya's injury, the Cubs would go on to post a 4-1 win over the Blue Jays.

Commanders have major hang-up preventing them from paying Terry McLaurin what he's due
NFL

Commanders have major hang-up preventing them from paying Terry McLaurin what he's due

It’s been two weeks since Washington Commanders star wide receiver Terry McLaurin publicly revealed his trade request, and a resolution doesn’t appear to be in sight. Thanks to ESPN’s John Keim, we’re starting to get more insight into how the Commanders are approaching negotiations…and how they run counter to their star wide receiver’s financial desires. As we’ve assumed all along, the Commanders are wary of giving McLaurin a lucrative contract that would extend well into the player’s 30s. As Keim notes, the Commanders “rely heavily on analytics,” and those numbers aren’t particularly kind to receivers on the wrong side of 30. They may be onto something. Per ESPN Research, over the past five years, only three receivers 31 years or older have played at least 10 games and averaged 70-plus receiving yards per game (that number jumps to six players if you adjust for 60-plus receiving yards). Further, the team can simply point to the NFL landscape, as other teams are also clearly wary of paying aging wideouts. Among the 24 active wide receivers who are attached to the most guaranteed money, only Tyreek Hill was older than 30 when the deal was signed. McLaurin has continually pointed to his lack of mileage despite his age; he barely played during his first two years at Ohio State, meaning he may not have the same wear and tear as similar players his age. McLaurin is also naturally pointing to the stat sheet, as the receiver has continually produced despite uncertain QB play, uncertain ownership and a handful of different coaching staffs. Per Keim, the Commanders don’t want to pay McLaurin based on his past performance, with the front office preferring to shape any future contracts based on his projections for age-31-plus seasons. The organization also doesn’t want to set a new precedent by paying McLaurin, as it could convince future veterans to push for lucrative deals in their 30s. While McLaurin has taken the drastic measure of requesting a trade out of Washington, the organization is still convinced they have leverage in this showdown. After all, the player is still under contract for the 2025 campaign, meaning McLaurin will have to forfeit game checks if he sits out games. The team could even choose to slap him with the franchise tag next offseason (which could come in north of $30M), meaning they’re in full control of the player’s fate moving forward. The team is also skeptical that another suitor is going to willingly pay McLaurin the type of money he’s seeking. Per Keim, there are doubts around the league about whether another team would be willing to meet the receiver’s demands. Even if a clear suitor does emerge, Keim makes it clear that Washington’s front office won’t give the star away without receiving a haul. We heard recently that McLaurin wasn’t necessarily seeking a deal that matched fellow 2019 draftee D.K. Metcalf‘s deal with the Steelers. However, Keim says Metcalf’s contract has generally served as a guide for McLaurin, but it’s uncertain whether the Commanders wideout is looking to match the AAV ($33M) or total guarantees ($60M). Ultimately, one source believes the Commanders may agree to pay McLaurin a contract that will pay $28M per year. Of course, it’s uncertain if the player would even accept that offer. If that hypothetical maximum offer doesn’t end in a signing, a divorce may be the logical next step.

Former Oregon WR's career may have new life after transfer decision
College Football

Former Oregon WR's career may have new life after transfer decision

Ryan Pellum's career with the Oregon Ducks was over before it even started, but it may have new life. The former four-star wideout from Long Beach, California, was ranked as the No. 26 wide receiver in the 2024 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. Pellum took a redshirt last season at Oregon before hitting the transfer portal in January. He was then arrested and charged with assault with use of a firearm after he allegedly pistol-whipped someone in his hometown on Christmas Day in 2024. In June, Pellum was sentenced to probation as part of a plea deal, and now he's trying to get his college football hopes back on track. As such, it's being reported that Pellum will transfer to Delaware State for the 2025 season. Notably, he'll be joining up with former NFL star and three-time Pro Bowler DeSean Jackson, who is heading into his first season as the Hornets' head coach. As a senior in high school, Pellum caught 66 passes for 991 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was at one time committed to USC, but he flipped to Dan Lanning and the Ducks on signing day. Delaware State, located in Dover, Delaware, is an FCS program that is a part of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). The Hornets went 2-21 over the past two seasons under head coach Lee Hull, who was fired less than two years after he took over the program.

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!