I first learned about the Rage on the Red Sea boxing match between heavyweights Anthony Joshua and Olexandr Usyk in around February 2022. That's when myself and my husband, and manager, Richard had the idea to campaign my promoters and the Saudi Arabian organizers to allow me to compete there, and help create positive change. After many months of annoying Frank Smith, my promoter's CEO, we finally got the call we had been waiting for; that I would be fighting against Dominican boxer Crystal Garcia on August 20 in the first ever professional female boxing match in Saudi Arabia. It was an amazing feeling to be part of such a historic moment and a cultural shift towards equality in the region. This fight is the seventh since I began my professional career in 2020, and it's probably both my hardest test in terms of competition and the most important outside of the ring as well. I'm not just representing myself but also all women in combat sports; so the world can see that we deserve … [Read more...] about Ramla Ali: “Working with Meghan Markle changed my life”
Oleksandr usyk
Turkey’s Erdogan jostles to be Putin’s partner, Ukraine peacemaker
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan heads to Ukraine Thursday as the most likely peacemaker in a war that has pitted NATO and the European Union firmly against Russia. Erdogan and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the western city of Lviv, with the nascent UN-Turkish-facilitated Black Sea grain export deal likely top of the agenda. The Turkish president may also be carrying a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin , who he met in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi earlier this month. Erdogan—now needed by both Ukraine and Russia—may yet play a key role in any eventual ceasefire, though for now an end to the fighting looks unlikely. In the meantime Erdogan—ambitious, opportunistic, and pragmatic—will deal with both sides, seeking to stabilize its region, its beleaguered economy, and grow its international influence. "Turkey is trying to find a middle road," said Fatih Ceylan, … [Read more...] about Turkey’s Erdogan jostles to be Putin’s partner, Ukraine peacemaker