Sports

Terence Crawford Stripped Of IBF Belt After Failing To Stage Mandatory Defense

by

Terence Crawford’s historic title unification in the welterweight division has come to an end after he was stripped of his IBF title. The International Boxing Federation stripped Crawford of the belt for failing to stage a mandatory defense of the belt in question. Crawford owes Errol Spence Jr. an immediate rematch for the unification bout. However, the IBF does not recognize rematch clauses as a valid exemption to title defenses. Crawford was informed that he must fight Jaron “Boots” Ennis after his win over Spence Jr.

As a result of Crawford losing the belt, Ennis has been elevated to interim IBF welterweight champion. Ennis is 31-0 in his career but has lacked a top-flight opponent or marquee fight. That will likely change now that he is the belt holder. The IBF will likely announce a fight in the coming weeks. As mentioned, Ennis had been scheduled to be Crawford’s title defense following the Spence Jr. fight. Crawford had held the IBF title since 2017, making a sole mandatory defense of the belt in 2018. His rematch with Spence Jr. is yet to be announced but it is being tentatively scheduled for next February. Furthermore, Crawford is yet to release a statement addressing the IBF’s decision.

Read More: Terence Crawford Confronted Maino After Rapper Bet Against Him

IBF Eyes Fury-Usyk

However, Crawford’s belt may not be the only one that the IBF will be stripping in the coming months. Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are scheduled to fight their own historic unification bout in February. However, the IBF has informed both fighters that a mandatory defense of the belt against Filip Hrgović will be required after the fight, regardless of a rematch clause.

Hrgović is 16-0 and a super-heavyweight bronze medalist from the 2016 Olympics. The IBF ruled back in August that Hrgović was next in line to fight Usyk. However, that ruling was ignored in favor of the more headline-grabbing bout between Usyk and Fury. Usyk has held the IBF belt since September 2021. Furthermore, IBF President Daryl Peoples did not respond to requests for comment from ESPN over the stripping of Crawford’s belt.

Read More: Terence Crawford Rejects Canelo Alvarez Fight Idea

[via]

The post Terence Crawford Stripped Of IBF Belt After Failing To Stage Mandatory Defense appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Patrick Mahomes Becomes Newest Model For SKIMS

by

Patrick Mahomes, along with his wife and two children, has become the latest athlete to post for SKIMS, Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand. The whole Mahomes family dressed up in classic plaid flannel to promote the brand’s impending holiday shop. Last year, Snoop and his family promoted the brand for the holiday season. However, Kardashian stuck with the athletics theme given the recent launch of a SKIMS menswear line. Previously, Niners defensive star Nick Bosa was one of the initial models for SKIMS’ menswear line.

Mahomes expressed his excitement at the campaign. “This is our first campaign as a family, and shooting for SKIMS all together was an awesome moment,” he told TMZ of their involvement. Mahomes is currently on a bye week after leading the Chiefs to victory over the Dolphins in Germany last weekend. The team is next in action against the Eagles in a Monday Night Football clash on November 20.

Read More: Patrick Mahomes Trolls Travis Kelce After Taylor Swift Attends Chiefs-Bears

Adam Silver Promotes SKIMS

However, Mahomes isn’t the only person repping the brand as of late. Adam Silver proudly promoted SKIMS after the brand recently struck a deal with the NBA and WNBA. “Although I’m not going to show you, I’m wearing them right now. I strongly recommend them to everyone,” Silver told TMZ during a street interview earlier this week. “When guys are more comfortable, makes them play better. So yes, gonna have a direct impact on the game,” Silver added.

SKIMS recently landed a multiyear deal with both the NBA and WNBA in the wake of the launch of its men’s brand, which featured Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as one of the launch models. The shapewear brand will be promoted at “marquee league events” and national television broadcasts will carry “virtual on-court signage” for the brand as well. “Skims has quickly become one of our most culturally influential brands. We look forward to bringing NBA fans and Skims users unique experiences, new offerings and premium products through our partnership,” Silver said in a press statement.

Read More: Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS Partners With Swarovski For Exclusive, Shiny Collection

[via]

The post Patrick Mahomes Becomes Newest Model For SKIMS appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Angel Reese & LSU Look To Bounce Back In Home Opener After Shock Loss

by

LSU’s Angel Reese-led superteam will look to find their first win of the college basketball season as they host Queens University later today. The defending national champions were stunned in their season-opener earlier this week as they were soundly beaten by #20 Colorado. It was the first time since 2020 that LSU had lost a season opener. Furthermore, it was the first time since 2009 that a Kim Mulkey-coached team had lost their season opener. Mulkey attributed the loss to a lack of toughness. However, she did not call out any specific players by name.

Much like Reese bounced back against Cuba after being humbled by Brazil in the AmeriCup, LSU is expected to bounce back against Queens. The ASUN school dropped their own season opener to Ole Miss 91-44. Last season, Queens finished dead last in their conference, going 8-21. 2022-23 was Queens’ first season at the Division I level after transitioning from Division II.

Read More: Angel Reese And LSU Stars Name Their All-Time Basketball Starting Lineups

LSU Superteam Yet To Be Super

Mulkey made headlines over the summer as she added the top two players in the transfer portal – Hailey Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow. However, it’s clear that the growing pains are still present. Morrow, previously the heart and soul of DePaul and the country’s seventh-best rebounder last year, finished with 6 points and 4 rebounds. Similarly, impact sophomore Flau’jae Johnson put up just 3 points. While a number of the younger players had solid games, it seems that the roster is still looking to find an overall cohesion that suits them.

While Reese put up a double-double (15 points, 12 rebounds) and Van Lith had 14 points of her own, some of the issues that experts noted about the new team are already present. Some criticized Mulkey for grabbing talent without having a solid plan on how to utilize it. While it’s just one game, it’s an issue that could stymie LSU’s title defense. Amid a fairly weak conference schedule, LSU’s next big test will be #8 Virginia Tech at the end of the month. LSU open SEC play against Missouri at the start of January.

Read More: Angel Reese Becomes Shaq’s First Reebok Signing

[via]

The post Angel Reese & LSU Look To Bounce Back In Home Opener After Shock Loss appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Logan Paul Celebrates “Champ Life” With WWE Belt Thirst Traps

by

Logan Paul celebrated his recent WWE title win with an impromptu series of thirst traps. Entitled “Champ Life”, the series of images shows Paul cuddling the belt in bed, smoking a cigar in a cowboy hat with the belt, wearing it at the gym, and using it to remain with Instagram’s ToS while in the shower. Paul was crowned the new WWE US Champion after taking down Rey Mysterio at WWE Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia last weekend. It was an antic-filled match, which saw Paul utilize brass knuckles amongst other tools to take down the Mexican veteran. Paul’s first title comes just over two years after he made his WWE debut. Furthermore, the title comes in just his eighth pro wrestling match.

However, Paul appeared to imply that the title meant a greater focus on the promotion for him. “I think I have to,” Paul said of spending more time on WWE programming. “You’re going to have to watch Raw. You’re going to have to watch SmackDown. I’m going to make some surprise appearances and show these wrestlers who’s the real king.” It’s unclear who his first title defense could come against. That said, everyone from Dominik Mysterio to Bad Bunny has been named as a potential opponent.

Read More: Dillon Danis Appeals Logan Paul Fight Result, WWE Star Responds

Logan Paul’s Energy Drink Sells 1 Billion Units

Meanwhile, PRIME, the energy drink owned by Paul and KSI, has reportedly sold 1 billion units. “We’ve officially sold 1,000,000,000 bottles — a hydration milestone we couldn’t have reached without you. Thank you for making PRIME the fastest growing beverage in history,” the drink’s official account wrote on social media. The milestone was reached in just 22 months, after Paul and KSI launched the brand in January 2022. While popular, it has been panned by many critics for its foul taste. Gordon Ramsay gave the drink a 0/10 rating after it comparing it to “swallowing perfume”.

“What is life” Paul wrote on his own account, seemingly stunned at his own brand’s successful. However, PRIME has become a major part of all of Paul’s endeavors. During one of his WWE events, he participated in a skit that saw KSI dress up like a giant bottle of PRIME. Meanwhile, their recent joint boxing card was officially dubbed “The PRIME Card” by broadcaster DAZN. If Paul or KSI is involved in something, it’s a fair bet that PRIME is involved as well.

Read More: Dillon Danis Claims Nina Agdal Posts Were “Comedy” Promotion Of Logan Paul Fight, Continues To Make Posts About Her

[via]

The post Logan Paul Celebrates “Champ Life” With WWE Belt Thirst Traps appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Sits With Fans Following Ejection

by

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo did not return to the Bucks bench or locker room after being ejected against the Pistons. Instead, Giannis briefly sat amongst fans in the courtside seats while gesturing at the refs to continue the game. Eventually, Giannis was compelled to leave for the locker room after the refs threatened more reprimands against him.

Giannis’ protest was a result of his ejection being fairly controversial. Giannis picked up his second technical after staring down the Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart after throwing down a dunk over him. The refs didn’t like this and whistled Giannis for his second tech of the game. A disbelieving Giannis tried to reason with the refs but the whistle had already been blown and the officiating team wanted Giannis out of the game. Giannis had 15 points and 9 rebounds at the time of his ejection. Furthermore, the Bucks held on for a 120-118 win.

Read More: Rockets Blow Out Lakers After LeBron James And Dillon Brooks Speak On Beef

How Is The Giannis-Dame Experiment Going?

The win over the Pistons puts the Bucks at 5-2 on the season and riding a three-game win streak. As for how the team is adjusting to the superstar tandem of Giannis and Damian Lillard, things couldn’t be going better. Just 0.1 ppg separates the two players’ scoring output, meaning that combined they average 48.7 points per game. Meanwhile, they have settled into their separate niches. Giannis is the rebounding, leading the team with nine boards a game. Meanwhile, Lillard is the playmaker, leading the team with 4.7 assists per game.

However, the Bucks are now very dependent on their tandem. Losing Jrue Holiday cost the Bucks a lot of defense, which can be seen in how their biggest margin of victory this season so far is just eight points. Meanwhile, when they lose – they lose hard. Their two losses this season have been 17- and 19-point blowouts to the Knicks and Raptors. Furthermore, their win over the Pistons came despite a major Pistons comeback attempt after Giannis was knocked out of the game. It remains to be seen if the powerhouse can continue powering for the entirety of the season.

Read More: Terry Stotts, Damian Lillard’s Former Head Coach, Resigns As Bucks Assistant

[via]

The post Giannis Antetokounmpo Sits With Fans Following Ejection appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Bradley Beal Makes Suns Debut, Scores 13 In OT Win

by

Bradley Beal finally made his debut for the Phoenix Suns after missing the first week and change of the season due to injury. The Suns were in Chicago to face the Bulls looking to return to .500 after a rough start to the season. Beal played 24 minutes, putting up 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. However, Beal was completely absent for the necessary overtime period, as the team firmly stuck to their minutes plan for the veteran. The 3-5 Bulls kept it close, but the Suns were finally able to come away with a 116-115 win. Grayson Allen had a team-high 26 points, one of three Suns to reach 20.

“I can be hard-headed and go play 30 minutes when I know I’m not supposed to. But how will I feel after that? Probably not the greatest. So that’s why I lean on our staff and our doctors to be the voice for me. Because I’ll be hard-headed and go out there and play,” Beal said, respecting the decision to keep him benched. Meanwhile, new coach Frank Vogel praised Beal’s overall performance. “He was good in stretches and you could tell he was a little bit rough in stretches. We’re playing him in a way that’s tough to get a rhythm. But I really love how he competed. We’re 1-0 with Bradley Beal in the lineup,” Vogel said.

Read More: LaMelo Ball & PUMA Sued By Big Baller Brand Co-Founder

Suns’ Season Can Really Begin

Despite being pegged as one of the teams to watch in the West, the Beal-less Suns have been slow out of the gates. Sitting at 4-4, Phoenix’s first eight games have included back-to-back losses to the Spurs and a 15-point loss to the Lakers. However, a major reason for this is not being able to play their Big Three. As mentioned, Beal has just returned from injury. Meanwhile, it’s unclear when Devin Booker will be able to return from the calf injury that has limited him to just two games this season.

Despite this, Kevin Durant is excited to have Beal on the floor now. “Just somebody else the defense is scared of. Somebody who can score at all three levels. Brad going downhill is a problem. So, as much as we can get him going downhill and also just setting him up in iso so he can beat his man will be great for us. Tonight, he just got his feet wet. He’s on a restriction minute-wise, but as he comes off of that he’s going to be more and more confident. We’ve just got to give him the ball more,” Durant said. The Suns face the Lakers on Friday.

Read More: Diddy Looks To Fix “The Worst Jump Shot A Black Man Can Have” With Lethal Shooter: Watch

[via]

The post Bradley Beal Makes Suns Debut, Scores 13 In OT Win appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

LaMelo Ball & PUMA Sued By Big Baller Brand Co-Founder

by

LaMelo Ball, along with his family and sneaker giant PUMA, have been sued by Alan Foster, the co-founder of Big Baller Brand. Foster claims that he was integral to the early success of the Ball Family sneaker brand and lost out on millions of dollars when patriarch LaVar ousted Foster by creating a new BBB entity. Amongst his claims, Foster alleges to have been the mastermind, and trademark owner, for LaMelo’s first signature show, the MB1. Furthermore, Foster named PUMA in the suit, stating that the MB.01 shoe the company developed for LaMelo infringed on his trademark.

“LaMelo was instrumental in creating his first signature shoe with Big Baller Brand. He was fully aware of the existence of the LaMelo Trademarks — he helped design them. He knew that his Big Baller Brand signature shoe was called the ‘MB1’ and that the name was protected by federal trademark. Yet, despite his knowledge of all of this, LaMelo willfully and deliberately chose to name the signature shoe he created and designed with PUMA the ‘MB1’ in violation of the LaMelo Trademarks,” Foster wrote in the suit. He is reportedly seeking $200 million in damages. Furthermore, Foster has previously sued, and been sued by, the Ball family.

Read More: LaMelo Ball Ruins A Perfectly Good Watch

LaMelo Ball Enjoying Solid Start To Season

Away from the courtroom, LaMelo is enjoying a solid start to the 2023/24 NBA season. Through seven games, he is averaging 19.6 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists. Furthermore, he has put up at least 30 points in back-to-back games in recent losses against Dallas and Washington. Currently, Terry Rozier leads the Hornets in scoring while new starting center Mark Williams, who won the job over Kai Jones, is the top rebounding. Vaunted rookie Brandon Miller is yet to earn a starting role, coming off the bench in five of his seven appearances.

However, the Hornets are still firmly a team in the midst of a rebuild. Charlotte is 2-5, having picked up a shock season-opening win over the Hawks as well as a one-point win over the Pacers. Their most recent game was a thorough rout at the hands of the Wizards, losing 132-116. Despite this, the season is less than ten games old. Furthermore, Charlotte’s division is surprisingly competitive. The Hawks are 4-3 leaders. Meanwhile, last year’s NBA Finals participants Miami are 4-4. If the Charlotte can build off LaMelo’s strong start, they could be a fringe play-in team.

Read More: Rockets Blow Out Lakers After LeBron James And Dillon Brooks Speak On Beef

[via]

The post LaMelo Ball & PUMA Sued By Big Baller Brand Co-Founder appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Rockets Blow Out Lakers After LeBron James And Dillon Brooks Speak On Beef

by

LeBron James may have had the better stat line, but Dillon Brooks had the last laugh as the Rockets blew out the Lakers 128-94. Jalen Green had a game-high 28 points while young center Alperen Sengun had 19 points of his own as the Rockets dropped the Lakers to 0-5 on the road this season. After promising to “lock up” LeBron, Brooks finished with 5 points and 4 rebounds. Meanwhile, LeBron, who had offered praise to Brooks earlier in the day, finished with 18 points and 6 rebounds. Rui Hachimura led the Lakers in scoring with 24. However, he was just one of three Lakers to reach double digits alongside LeBron and D’Angelo Russell.

Following the loss, the Lakers pointed to their injured-depleted roster. “I mean, we can’t build cohesion if we don’t have our unit. It’s that simple. It’s just, we’re very depleted on the injury side,” Lebron said after the loss. The Lakers are currently without Anthony Davis, Jaxson Hayes, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jalen Hood-Schfino, and Gabe Vincent. However, the team is hoping that Davis will be available for Friday’s game against Phoenix, the Lakers’ first of the in-season tournament group stage.

Read More: Diddy Looks To Fix “The Worst Jump Shot A Black Man Can Have” With Lethal Shooter: Watch

Lakers Making The Worst Kind Of History

The Lakers’ 3-5 start to the season is just a one-game improvement to their dismal 2-6 start last year. However, the team is continuing to make history in all the worst ways. According to ESPN, the 2023/24 Lakers are now the first team in NBA history to make fewer threes and shoot worse from three than their opponents in each of their first eight games. Furthermore, the team has a -74 first-quarter point differential, also a historically low mark.

However, things could be about to turn around for the Lakers. They face the Suns on Friday, a team they have already beaten this season. After that, it’s back to LA for games against the Blazers and Grizzlies. The Blazers are also 3-5 at the time of writing. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies have completely fallen apart thanks to some major injuries and Ja Morant’s suspension. Last year’s two-seed are currently 1-7 to open the season.

Read More: Adin Ross Makes Sexual Remarks About LeBron James While On Stream At Lakers Game

[via]

The post Rockets Blow Out Lakers After LeBron James And Dillon Brooks Speak On Beef appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Snoop Dogg And Master P Surprise Deion Sanders With Custom Cereal Box

by

There’s been a lot of news surrounding Deion Sanders this year. The former football great turned to coaching and this year was hired to take over the Colorado Buffaloes. While results on the field have been mixed he’s had his moments and more importantly, has brought his signature over-the-top swagger to everything he does.

He’s also been a part of quite a few advertisements and promotional deals. Consequently, the most recent is now his involvement with Master P and Snoop Dogg’s cereal. Snoop created a special version of his Snoop Cereal celebrating the rapper called the “Prime Time Honey-O Snax.” P pulled up to Coach Prime personally to hand deliver the cereal. “Me and Snoop decided we putting you on the Snoop Cereal box. I’m just telling you, you got your own box now, coach,” he says to a surprised and amused Sanders. Check out the full clip below.

Read More: “Rolling 200 Deep” Pays Tribute To DJ Kay Slay With Features From Snoop Dogg, Ice-T, And Hundreds More

Master P Gifts Coach Prime His Own Snoop Dogg Cereal

Additionally, this isn’t the only way that Snoop Dogg and Master P have been linked recently. Master P claimed that he once visited Suge Knight while he was in jail and offered him $2 million in exchange for Snoop signing to No Limit Records. But Suge Knight is refuting the claim in an episode of his new podcast. ” I never would have took no sh*t like that for Snoop. I got a whole list if anybody ever visits me. You got to be approved. That n*gga is not on none of it,” he used as his evidence for the claim being false.

Snoop Dogg has also continued dispensing advice to the newer generations of rappers. He had some wise words to share with Latto during a recent heart to heart telling her she had to “be a smarter businesswoman” during a conversation between the pair. What do you think of the gift Snoop Dogg and Master P gave to Deion Sanders? Let us know in the comment section below.

Read More: Snoop Dogg & His Wife Get Matching Crown Rings To Flex Their Marriage

[Via]

The post Snoop Dogg And Master P Surprise Deion Sanders With Custom Cereal Box appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

LeBron James Gives Dillon Brooks His Flowers

by

LeBron James have given glowing praise of his “rival” Dillon Brooks head of their matchup later tonight. “I think every player that is awarded with a contract is awarded for a reason, and they’re worthy of the contract that they get. So I think in his case, he was worthy of the contract he got. He’s put in the work since he came out of Oregon, and that’s what Houston found value in and he’s here. So no, I think it has nothing to do with that,” LeBron told reporters.

However, LeBron also noted that he didn’t view the game as a grudge match. “I think just the competition alone. It’s always great to go out and compete, so he’s one of those guys who likes to compete along with a lot of other guys in our league. But I don’t really dwell in the past too much. … Over the years, I kind of leave that in the past and find a way to [think about]: ‘How can we get our first road win?’ That’s what my mindset is, for sure.”

Read More: Diddy Looks To Fix “The Worst Jump Shot A Black Man Can Have” With Lethal Shooter: Watch

Dillon Brooks Ready For LeBron

LeBron’s comments come after Brooks issued a bold statement of his own earlier in the day. “Ready to lock him up. He’s shooting the ball well. He’s been playing well. So I’m just there to make him tired, make him get into that fourth quarter early,” Brooks told the Houston Chronicle this week. “I feel like he (James) controls the media. I feel like a lot of guys, you know, have these podcasts and love social media, but I don’t really like it. And I don’t really like media. If I didn’t have to talk to you guys I wouldn’t talk to you guys. And you know, I just block it out and just play basketball.”

Brooks’ comments came ahead of the Rockets hosting the Lakers on Wednesday night. It will be the first time the pair will take the fall after Brooks tried, and failed, to ignite a beef between them during the first round of the playoffs. Brooks called LeBron “old” and consistently got in the veteran’s face. However, LeBron and the Lakers completely cooked Brooks’ then-team, the Grizzlies. Furthermore, the Grizzlies chose to let Brooks walk in free agency, in part due to the defensive specialist focusing more on the beef than playoff basketball.

Read More: Adin Ross Makes Sexual Remarks About LeBron James While On Stream At Lakers Game

[via]

The post LeBron James Gives Dillon Brooks His Flowers appeared first on HotNewHipHop.