Getty ImagesCharlotte CoatesBBC Sport journalist32 minutes agoSuper-middleweight Callum Simpson picked himself up off the canvas twice before securing a stunning stoppage victory over Ivan Zucco in his home town of Barnsley.Simpson, 28, made history as he maintained his unbeaten record (18-0) to become the town’s first European champion when he stopped Italy’s Zucco in the 10th round at Barnsley FC’s Oakwell Stadium. The Englishman dedicated the win to his sister, Lily-Rae Simpson, who died aged 19 in a car accident in Greece last year.”Not once did I give up, in those last few rounds I’ll be honest I started thinking about my little sister Lily,” Simpson said.”I’ll be honest, I just thought I had to push for her and for everybody. This time last year, Lily was sat up here cheering me on and she was there with me tonight when it got tough, when it got hard.”From round eight, I thought, ‘I’ve got to dig deep, I’ve got to keep pushing, I’ve got to do it for her’. She was with me tonight.”With the win, Simpson puts himself in prime contention for a step up to world level by the end of the year.But the raucous Oakwell crowd feared the worse with only eight seconds on the clock in in the opening round when Zucco downed Simpson with a hard left hand.Simpson shook off the early knockdown and buzzed Zucco with some fine punching of his own, but the home favourite was caught too square in the third round, dropped for the second time by a left hand.Spurred on by 23,000 inside the football ground, Simpson was not to be deterred and he continued to advance – taking a number of risks along the way.Simpson sensed an opening in the 10th round as he stalked Zucco before launching a stunning left uppercut on the chin of his opponent – who then sank to his knees before beating the 10-count.Zucco was subjected to another punishing uppercut and slumped to his knees but he bravely rose on the count of eight, until a third knockdown meant the Italian’s corner pulled their man out of the fight. Getty ImagesGetty ImagesGetty ImagesRelated topicsBoxing

Getty ImagesKal SajadBBC Sport at Portman Road, Ipswich8 June 2025, 00:09 BSTUpdated 1 hour agoBritish heavyweight Fabio Wardley delivered a stunning, one-punch 10th-round knockout to stop Justis Huni in Ipswich.The dramatic, unforgettable finish sent a rain-soaked Portman Road crowd into raptures.Backed by a vocal home crowd of around 20,000 at Ipswich Town’s ground, Wardley struggled to find his rhythm and pin down the slicker, sharper Huni.Behind on the scorecards and facing defeat by the Australian, all it took was a single punch to turn things around for the 30-year-old.Wardley landed a thunderous right hand on the chin to send Huni, 26, crashing to the canvas.”Eat your heart out Deontay Wilder, that was a Deontay Wilder moment,” Wardley’s promoter Frank Warren said afterwards.The victory marked Wardley’s 18th knockout in 19 professional wins and moved him one step closer to a world title shot.”I don’t profess to being any [Oleksandr] Usyk or Justis Huni who has all the skills, but I know how to win fights and that’s one thing I knew I had to do tonight,” said Wardley.”Justis Huni is a great operator. We’d drilled everything over and over again. I should’ve performed better in some of those rounds.With champions Usyk and Daniel Dubois set to meet for the undisputed title in July, Wardley – now ranked number one by the WBA – is well-positioned for a shot at global honours.Huni, who replaced American Jarrell Miller on short notice, suffered his first professional defeat after 12 consecutive wins.”That’s my curse. I even said before this fight it only takes one second to switch off, it happened tonight,” he said.Dramatic turnaround provides perfect homecomingGetty ImagesAn outdoor fight in the United Kingdom is never without its risks. Fans wore ponchos and reporters scrambled for shelter as heavy rain fell throughout the evening.The downpour eased when Brisbane native Huni made his ring walk to a predictably hostile reception, before the mood shifted as a steely-faced and focused Wardley emerged.Bathed in the golden glow of the floodlight, the Ipswich-born boxer soaked in the moment he had been dreaming of since turning professional.The opening rounds saw both fighters cautiously size each other up.Huni – well-schooled and boasting serious amateur pedigree – landed a thudding left hook followed by a sharp right in the third.Wardley, who only took up boxing at 19 and turned pro after just four white-collar bouts, was known for his raw power and ability to dig deep.But it was Huni landing the cleaner shots, especially with that left hook.With only two contests beyond six rounds in his career, Wardley began to feel the pace. His timing was off and a grimace in the seventh said it all after Huni whipped in a punishing right hook.Just when it seemed the homecoming would turn into a nightmare, Wardley achieved one of the biggest turnarounds in recent times to send the crowd into a frenzy.After his beloved football team’s recent relegation from the Premier League, with the Tractor Boys failing to register a single home league win in 2025, Wardley brought the good times back to Ipswich.What next for Wardley?Getty ImagesWardley’s meteoric rise is nothing short of remarkable, especially for someone who only laced up the gloves a decade ago.That said, there is room for caution. He struggled for large parts of the fight, raising the question of whether he is ready to mix it with Usyk, Dubois or Joseph Parker – three of the division’s most in-form fighters.Still, Wardley has cleared every hurdle put in front of him in the pro ranks. He stopped domestic rival David Adeleye, beat Olympic medallist Frazer Clarke in a thriller, and has now added a respected international name in Huni with a dramatic, highlight-reel ending.And when he has that sort of equaliser in his locker, he is a dangerous proposition for any heavyweight rival.He will now take some well-earned time to enjoy a more personal milestone, with his partner due to give birth to their first child in a matter of days. Related topicsBoxing

17 minutes agoCanadian Open third round leaderboard-14 R Fox (NZ), M Manassero (Ita); -13 L Hodges (US), M McCarty (US), K Yu (Tai); -12 J Knapp (US), M Hughes (Can), A PutnamSelected others: -11 C Champ (US), V Perez (Fra), D Skinns (Eng); -10 S Lowry (Ire), D Willett (Eng); -9 L Aberg (Swe); -7 H Hall (Eng), P Waring (Eng); -4 R MacIntyre Full leaderboardGetty ImagesItalian Matteo Manassero and New Zealand’s Ryan Fox were tied for the lead after the third round at a closely contested Canadian Open.Manassero and Fox both carded rounds of 64, each including seven birdies and one bogey as they moved to 14 under.”It was a really good round,” said Manassero, whose bogey came at the 17th hole before he recovered the stroke with a birdie at the last.”I missed the short one on 17, and I did miss a couple more short ones. I try to think of them just like a shot really, like a driver, like a six-iron, whatever. It’s just a shot.”It wasn’t that hard for me to stay focused into what I was doing and not ruining [it] at the end.”Manassero will be chasing his first PGA Tour title, while Fox is seeking a second just a month after his first triumph on the tour at the Myrtle Beach Classic.”Obviously there’s a lot of good players behind me,” said Fox. “I feel like it’s going to take a pretty low [score] to get the job done.” Lee Hodges and Kevin Yu both shot seven under par rounds of 63 and sit one back along with Matt McCarty. A 65 from England’s David Skinns moved him on to 11 under along with seven other players, including overnight leader Cameron Champ.Champ could only manage a one over-par 71 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.England’s Danny Willett (67) and Ireland’s Shane Lowry (68) are a shot further back on 10 under.Related topicsGolf

Getty ImagesHarry PooleBBC Sport journalist4 hours agoFrench Open 2025 – men’s singles finalDate: Sunday, 8 June Time: 14:00 BST Venue: Roland GarrosCoverage: Live radio commentary across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and appThe latest chapter in the burgeoning rivalry between the two brightest talents in men’s tennis will play out on one of the sport’s grandest stages for the first time in Sunday’s French Open final.World number one Jannik Sinner and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz meet in a tantalising Paris showpiece, having already captured seven major titles between them.The first Grand Slam final to feature two players born in 2000s heralds the beginning of a new era in the men’s game – but only one can leave Paris with their perfect record in major finals intact. “It doesn’t get any bigger now. It’s a special moment for me and for Carlos,” said Italy’s Sinner.”The tension you feel before the match and during the match is a little bit different in a way, because we are both very young, we are both different, but talented.”‘The rivalry the sport needs’This will be the first French Open men’s final between two players aged 23 or under in more than three decades.Spanish 22-year-old Alcaraz has already amassed four Grand Slams – including beating Alexander Zverev in five sets to win last year’s Roland Garros final.All three Grand Slam triumphs for Sinner, 23, have come on hard courts – and he is seeking to become only the sixth man in the Open era to win three consecutive majors.It is the first time Alcaraz and Sinner have faced off in a major final – but it is unlikely to be the last.Whatever the outcome on Sunday, Alcaraz and Sinner will have carved up the past six majors between them as they assert themselves in the post ‘Big Three’ era.Speaking after his semi-final loss to Sinner, the 38-year-old Novak Djokovic said of the pair: “They’re definitely great for tennis, both of them. “I think their rivalry is something that our sport needs, no doubt.”The way they are playing and approaching tennis life, I think they are going to have very successful careers in the next years.”I’m sure that we’re going to see them lifting the big trophies quite often.”‘It’s fun and not fun’ – Sinner’s kryptoniteFollowing his US Open and Australian Open triumphs, Sinner goes into the French Open final on a 20-match winning streak at the majors.The youngest man to reach three consecutive Grand Slam singles finals since Pete Sampras in 1994, his unshakeable consistency combined with devastating precision means he is yet to drop a set in Paris this year.But Alcaraz has proved to be Sinner’s kryptonite of late. Since the start of his title-winning run at the China Open in September 2023, Sinner – who served a three-month doping suspension between February and May – has lost just nine of the 120 matches he has contested.But four of those defeats have come in his past four meetings with Alcaraz, including in straight sets in the Italian Open final on clay last month.Asked if he enjoys the challenge of facing Alcaraz, whom he trails 7-4 in the overall head-to-head, Sinner joked: “It’s fun and not fun.”I think we try to push ourselves in the best possible way. “I believe when there is a good match, it’s also good to play [it]. It’s very special.”Alcaraz prepared for ‘beautiful suffering’Following in the footsteps of Rafael Nadal as the second Spaniard to reach five major men’s singles finals, Alcaraz could emulate his childhood hero by winning his fifth major at the exact same age: 22 years, one month and three days.The two-time Wimbledon champion has taken just 82 matches to reach 70 wins at slams – quicker than all but Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, who took 81.He improved his record on clay this season to 21 wins in 22 matches – including title wins in Monte Carlo and Rome – after Lorenzo Musetti retired with injury when trailing in their semi-final.”Most of the time it is just about suffering,” Alcaraz said when asked what it would take to beat either Sinner or Djokovic after winning Friday’s first semi-final.”But my favourite thing is that it gives me the feedback of how I can be a better player.”I think that’s important, and that’s beautiful. Even if I win or not, it gives you a lot of stats and feedback.”On Sinner, he added: “He’s the best tennis player right now. I mean, he’s destroying every opponent.”Related topicsTennis

PA Media27 minutes agoStephen Bunting beat fellow Englishman Rob Cross 8-4 in the final of the Nordic Masters in Denmark to claim his second World Series title of the year. In a race to eight legs, the two were tied at 3-3 at the break before Bunting hit double top and broke the throw after Cross failed to take out 40 in the seventh leg.Bunting produced a 104 finish to go 5-3 up and continued his run to five straight legs to move four clear at 7-3 and one away from victory against a struggling Cross.Bunting missed bull as he nearly finished with a 170 but he secured victory by cleaning up the remaining 25 on his next visit.”The way I’ve been playing, I was wondering if I was going to win another title again,” Bunting, who won the Bahrain Masters in January, told ITV. “My doubles have been atrocious over the last couple of months. It’s something I need to work on. “But, when you win titles like this against the calibre of players that I’m playing week-in week-out, it means an awful lot.”Luke Littler and Luke Humphries had both been knocked out in the quarter-finals.World champion Littler suffered a 6-3 loss to Nathan Aspinall, who was beaten 7-5 by Bunting in the semi-finals.Defending champion Gerwyn Price won 6-3 to end the challenge of world number one Humphries but the Welshman lost 7-4 to Cross in the last four.Related topicsDarts

Getty ImagesSimon StoneChief football news reporter5 hours ago208 CommentsManchester City are on the verge of completing a £31m move to sign left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolves.The 24-year-old is due to have a medical at the club this weekend as the final stages of the deal, which includes £5m in add-ons, is concluded.City would need to complete the transfer before 10 June in order for Ait-Nouri to be available for the group stage of the Club World Cup.Algeria international Ait-Nouri was at the top of City manager Pep Guardiola’s list to solve his side’s problematic left-back spot.City have been operating without a specialist left-back since Benjamin Mendy departed. He made his last appearance for the club in August 2021.Oleksandr Zinchenko, Joao Cancelo and Josko Gvardiol are among the players who have had extended stints in the position.Youngster Nico O’Reilly then filled the role towards the end of last season, including the FA Cup final defeat by Crystal Palace.Ait-Nouri joined Wolves in a £14.9m deal from Angers in 2021, having spent the previous season on loan, and made 41 appearances in all competitions last term as the club avoided relegation, scoring five goals and adding seven assists. He will become Wolves’ second high-profile departure of the summer, with Matheus Cunha set to join Manchester United. City have already agreed a £46.3m deal to sign AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, adding to the £200m spent in the January transfer window.Ait-Nouri’s class at both ends of the pitchAit-Nouri delivered more goal involvements (11) than any other Premier League defender last term to underline his proficiency when joining attacks.In addition, only Leif Davis (61), Pedro Porro (57) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (53) created more chances for team-mates to score than the former Angers man (46).Aaron Wan-Bissaka was the only top-flight defender to complete more dribbles (64) than Ait-Nouri (63) last term.And his tight ball control and pace going forward compares with players Guardiola has previously favoured in that role.He will also be aware that Ait-Nouri has displayed the ability to snuff out danger quickly and at source.When the 2024-25 campaign concluded, Ait-Nouri had won possession back more than any other Premier League defender in the final third, with Crystal Palace’s Daniel Munoz a close second.Getty ImagesAnalysis – ‘The perfect fit’ for Pep’s possession style’Former Wolves coach Edu Rubio, who worked with Ait-Nouri during the 2022-23 seasonHis technical competency, his ability and skill in tight areas – keeping the ball close to his feet – give him the opportunity to fit perfectly into Pep Guardiola’s possession-based play.He can also dribble with speed, to get the team up the pitch driving with the ball, which is probably what Manchester City need right now – players who can break lines.Defensively he has improved his game since his arrival to the Premier League and his one-v-one defending is of a very good standard. He can cope physically and is a very versatile player who can operate in any position down the flank, or by playing as an inverted full-back.He needs to improve his decision-making on the ball – he can take one touch too many at times and slow down the ball speed down in a possession game that Pep loves. He also needs to work on his end product in attack.At a club like City he will need to get his assist ratio higher, but it is something he can definitely do.Related topicsPremier LeagueManchester CityFootball