What seemed like an impossible matchup a few years ago is now a reality: Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez and Terence “Bud” Crawford will face off in a fight that promises to break audience records.
The highly anticipated duel will take place on Saturday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., where the Mexican will put his WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF world titles on the line in the super middleweight division (168 pounds).
Álvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs), 35, comes off a comfortable victory over William Scull in May, during which Álvarez successfully defended his belts. Now he faces the challenge of an undefeated opponent considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters today.
Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) will look to make history by moving up from welterweight to try to dethrone the Jalisco champion. With titles in four different divisions, the American is aiming to conquer a fifth crown in a completely new category for him.
How to watch:
The fight will be broadcast exclusively on Netflix, with no fee beyond the streaming service’s standard subscription fee. In the U.S., Netflix subscriptions start at $7.99, a massively reduced figure from typical boxing pay-per-view fees.
The main event is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. PDT.
Clash of the undefeated in the co-main event
Undefeated Callum Walsh (14-0, 11 KOs, from Cork, Ireland) and Fernando Vargas Jr. (17-0, 15 KOs, from Las Vegas, Nev.) will face off in a super welterweight co-main event.
On the same card, WBC interim super middleweight champion Christian Mbilli (29-0, 24 KOs, from Quebec, Canada, born in France) will take on WBA No. 3 and WBC No. 7 Lester Martinez (19-0, 16 KOs, from San Benito Petén, Guatemala) in a super middleweight battle.
Also, Mohammed Alakel (4-0, 0 KOs, from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) will face John Ornelas (5-2-1, 2 KOs, from San Diego) in a lightweight bout.
Preliminary fights
Streaming on Tudum.com, YouTube via the TKO channel and YouTube on the WWE channel):
Middleweight: Serhii Bohachuk (26-2, 24 KOs, a Los Angeles resident born in Vinnytsia, Ukraine) vs. Brandon Adams (25-4, 16 KOs, from Watts).
Heavyweight: Ivan Dychko (15-0, 14 KOs, from Pittsburgh, Penn., originally from Kazakhstan) vs. Jermaine Franklin (23-2, 15 KOs, from Saginaw, Mich.).
Super featherweight: Reito Tsutsumi (2-0, 1 KO, from Narashino, Chiba, Japan) vs. Javier Martinez (7-2, 4 KOs, from Dallas).
Super lightweight: Sultan Almohammed (0-0, from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) vs. Martin Caraballo (0-0-1, from Hollywood, Fla.).
Light heavyweight: Steven Nelson (20-1, 16 KOs, from Omaha, Neb.) vs. Raiko Santana (12-4, 6 KOs, from Pinar del Río, Cuba).
Super middleweight: Marco Verde (2-0, 2 KOs, from Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico) will open the evening against Marcos Osorio Betancourt (11-2-1, 8 KOs, from Canóvanas, Puerto Rico).
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Terence “Bud” Crawford jumped two weight classes to set a career high on the scales at Friday’s weigh-in ahead of his super middleweight bout against Mexican superstar Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez. Both fighters weighed in at 167.5 pounds and met all the requirements for a fight that pits two of today’s best pound-for-pound boxers against each other.
Bud and Canelo face off Saturday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas (6 p.m., Netflix) in a clash that will define their legacies, test Crawford’s undefeated status and determine supremacy in the sport.
For Álvarez, who will celebrate 20 years in the sport in October and compete in his 21st fight in Las Vegas when he faces Crawford, the weigh-in was business as usual for a Mexican star accustomed to competing in the super middleweight class and higher.
Crawford arrived in the same physical condition as the undisputed champion, reflecting the seriousness of his preparation in pursuit of the four belts held by the Jalisco native, as well as a bonus from the World Boxing Council (WBC), which will award a special ring to the winner of the fight.
Terence “Bud” Crawford extends his arms and during a news conference at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday in Las Vegas.
(David Becker / Getty Images for Netflix)
“I think people completely underestimate me, but that doesn’t matter,” Crawford said. “We have to fight here on Saturday, and all the answers will be resolved that night.”
The fighters participated in news conferences during the week that served as a barometer for the atmosphere in Las Vegas, where Álvarez is expected to draw a rowdy crowd during Mexican Independence Day weekend.
“I feel great. For me, this fight means a lot. I’m looking forward to Saturday night,” Álvarez said. “This fight is very important to me. It’s one of the most important fights of my career. … This victory will be one of the most important.”
Álvarez acknowledged Crawford’s physique, with his challenger surprising observers with more defined muscles after gaining weight.
“For me, muscles mean nothing,” Álvarez said. “I’ve fought bigger fighters before and they mean nothing… When I saw that he had a good training camp, I was happy because it was going to be a good fight.”
For his part, Crawford was confident and defiant.
“I feel great. I’m ready to get started. To surprise the world,” said the American, who reacted to social media comments about his physical transformation. “A lot of people are going overboard with that. ‘Oh, he’s slow, he’s got too much muscle.’ I just want to fight.”
At this crossroads, two fighters with different backgrounds meet. Both have been undisputed champions in different divisions and both have enough experience to handle the pressure of a big night. But there are differences that could tip the scales.
Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford face off onstage during news conference at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday in Las Vegas.
(David Becker / Getty Images for Netflix)
Álvarez is a fighter accustomed to the higher divisions. He has fought in light heavyweight and has faced physically superior opponents.
His style is orthodox, with a great ability to cut off the ring, wear down his opponents and land powerful punches that can define fights. He has the ability to adapt, read his opponents and subdue them with a combination of technique, power and tactical discipline.
Crawford comes from the opposite camp. His career has been built in lighter weight classes, dominating as a welterweight and lightweight, with a style based on mobility, variety of angles and intelligence in the ring. He is a natural southpaw, although he often switches stances, and has never tasted defeat as a professional.
With 41 victories, 31 of them by knockout, Crawford brings with him an impeccable record, but he will have to prove whether that power remains intact against a heavier and more resilient opponent such as Álvarez.
Crawford has had to deal with criticism about his previous opponents, as he has been accused of facing lower-quality fighters. “Anyone can be a nobody. And from what they say, I haven’t fought anyone,” he said.
The question is how Crawford will adapt to this new weight class. The increase in muscle could take away his speed, one of his most lethal weapons, or sap his endurance during long rounds.
For Álvarez, the advantage lies in familiarity, as he knows how to manage his body during a fight at 168 pounds, knows how to manage energy and knows how to punish an opponent who is entering unknown territory.
Many point to age as a factor that could affect both fighters during the bout.
At 35, Álvarez is still in a competitive range where he retains power, endurance and reflexes, although perhaps with less spark than in his 20s. His style does not depend so much on explosive speed, but rather on experience and the progressive wear and tear of his opponent. That works in his favor.
Although Álvarez has promised a knockout, in his recent fights, he has been unable to deliver knockouts and is unlikely to do so against Crawford.
“I’m going to give it my all in this fight and you’re going to see all my qualities,” Álvarez said. “It’s very difficult to say [which round I’ll knock him out], but I’m preparing for anything and I have one of the best fighters facing one of the best as well.”
At 37, Crawford is nearing the end of his physical prime. Boxers who base much of their style on speed, mobility and reflexes tend to feel the passage of time sooner. Crawford still looks fast, but his reflexes are probably not exactly what they were four or five years ago.
The fight, then, is shaping up to be a duel of styles and contexts. If Crawford manages to impose distance and take advantage of his mobility, he can turn the night into an exercise in frustration for Álvarez. If the Mexican manages to close the ring, press with body shots and wear Crawford down from the early rounds, the fight could swing in his corner.
Beyond the technical analysis, motivation plays a key role. Álvarez, with more than 60 professional fights, seeks to reaffirm his place in history as one of the great champions of Mexico and the world.
Crawford, meanwhile, wants to be the first male boxer in the four-belt era to become the undisputed champion in three different divisions.
Both know they are in the final stretch of their careers, which makes this fight an almost unrepeatable event. A defeat for either of them does not mean the end, but it would leave a mark on their records that would be difficult to erase.
When asked about fighting at Allegiant Stadium, home to the NFL’s Raiders, Crawford took a moment to emphasize the value of an event of this magnitude.
“Fights like this help boxing grow … the best fight,” he said. “… It’s only going to improve the sport.”
Undercard adds intrigue
Undefeated junior middleweight boxers Callum Walsh, left, and Fernando Vargas Jr., right, face off during a news conference at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday in Las Vegas while UFC’s Dana White looks on.
(Steve Marcus / Getty Images)
Saturday night’s fireworks aren’t limited to the main event. The rest of the card also is generating interest.
Undefeated super middleweight Christian Mbilli will face Guatemala’s Lester Martinez in a clash that promises to be intense.
Mbilli, who is hungry to establish himself in the division, said he feels he is in the best shape of his career and intends to go for a knockout. Martínez, for his part, has repeatedly said that he is not here to be a stepping stone for anyone and will take advantage of the platform to make a statement.
Another attraction is the clash between Callum Walsh and Fernando Vargas Jr., son of former world champion Fernando Vargas. Walsh, considered one of the promising young talents of Irish boxing, has said he will bring his technical and disciplined boxing style to the ring.
“Nothing compares to this weekend,” Walsh said. “It’s going to be a good fight. … None of us want to lose. It’s rare to see a fight like this in boxing: two young, undefeated boxers. Boxing needs more of this.”
Vargas said he is not intimidated and promised to prove that he belongs at this level of competition.
“He comes in as the favorite. … It’s something that excites me, something I’ve never felt before,” Vargas said. “Having my back against the wall. … You don’t see fighters putting their records on the line, 17-0 and 14-0, on a stage as big as this. These are the fights that make great fighters.”
Weigh-in results
MAIN CARD
Super middleweight: Canelo Álvarez (167.5 lbs) vs. Terence Crawford (167.5 lbs)
Super welterweight: Callum Walsh (153.5 lbs) vs. Fernando Vargas Jr. (153 lbs)
Super middleweight: Christian Mbilli (167 lbs) vs. Lester Martínez (167 lbs)
Lightweight: Mohammed Alakel (132 lbs) vs. Travis Crawford (132.5 lbs)
PRELIMS
Middleweight: Serhii Bohachuk (155 lbs) vs. Brandon Adams (156 lbs)
Heavyweight: Ivan Dychko (239.5 lbs) vs. Jermaine Franklin Jr. (256 lbs)
Super featherweight: Reito Tsutsumi (129.5 lbs) vs. Javier Martínez (129.5 lbs)
Super lightweight: Sultan Almohammed (132.5 lbs) vs. Martín Caraballo (133 lbs)
Light heavyweight: Steven Nelson (171.5 lbs) vs Raiko Santana (171.5 lbs)
Super middleweight: Marco Verde (158 lbs) vs. Sona Akale (159.5 lbs)
Sceptics wonder whether ‘Diella’, depicted as a woman in traditional folk costume, will herself be ‘corrupted’.
Published On 12 Sep 202512 Sep 2025
Share
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has put an artificial intelligence-generated “minister” in charge of tackling corruption in his new cabinet.
Diella, which means “sun” in Albanian, was appointed on Thursday, with the leader introducing her as a “member of the cabinet who is not present physically” who will ensure that “public tenders will be 100 percent free of corruption”.
Recommended Stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
The awarding of tenders has long been a source of corruption in the Balkan country of 2.8 million people, which aspires to join the European Union.
Corruption is a key factor in Albania’s bid to join the bloc.
Rama’s Socialist Party, which recently secured a fourth term in office, has said it can deliver EU membership for Albania in five years, with negotiations concluding by 2027.
Lawmakers will soon vote on Rama’s new cabinet, but it was unclear whether he would ask for a vote on Diella’s virtual post.
Legal experts say more work may be needed to establish the official status of Diella, who is depicted on screen as a woman in a traditional Albanian folk costume.
Gazmend Bardhi, parliamentary group leader of the Democrats, said he considered Diella’s ministerial status unconstitutional.
“[The] Prime Minister’s buffoonery cannot be turned into legal acts of the Albanian state,” Bardhi posted on Facebook.
The prime minister did not provide details of what human oversight there might be for Diella, or address risks that someone could manipulate the artificial intelligence bot.
Launched earlier this year as a virtual assistant on the e-Albania public service platform, Diella helped users navigate the site and get access to about one million digital documents.
So far, she has helped issue 36,600 digital documents and provided nearly 1,000 services through the platform, according to official figures.
Not everyone is convinced.
One Facebook user said, “Even Diella will be corrupted in Albania.”
Another said, “Stealing will continue and Diella will be blamed.”
Terrence Crawford is jumping two weights to fight Canelo Alvarez to unify the super middleweight belts on Saturday.
Published On 12 Sep 202512 Sep 2025
Share
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez stands in the way of Terence Crawford’s bid for boxing history on Saturday when they clash in Las Vegas for Alvarez’s undisputed super middleweight world title.
Crawford, a four-division champion, is jumping up two weight divisions for the bout in a bid to become the first male boxer to become an undisputed champion in three different categories.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
Unbeaten with a record of 41-0 with 31 knockouts, Crawford previously claimed all four belts on offer at super lightweight and welterweight.
But the 37-year-old American will step into the ring at Allegiant Stadium, home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, an underdog against Mexican great Alvarez.
Alvarez, who owns a record of 63-2-2 with 39 knockouts, is also a four-division champ and the only fighter to claim a four-belt undisputed title at super middleweight – first in 2021 and again in May when he beat IBF champion William Scull by a unanimous points decision in Riyadh.
Although Crawford is actually a hair taller than Alvarez with a longer reach, the Mexican superstar’s weight advantage is expected by many to be decisive, even though Crawford has visibly bulked up for the encounter.
The bout is being promoted by Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season, which inked Alvarez to a four-fight deal that made him the latest in a growing list of boxers to flock to the kingdom for mega-paydays.
Riyadh Season has teamed with UFC mastermind Dana White to promote the fight that will be streamed globally by Netflix.
“This fight for me is one of the biggest fights in my career,” Alvarez said at a Thursday night news conference attended by thousands of fans at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
After nearly four years without a knockout win, Alvarez said he is looking for a decisive victory.
“I’ll give it everything I have, and if the knockout comes, good,” he said. “If not, I’m going to show why I’m the best.”
Álvarez speaks on stage during the news conference ahead of the bout with Crawford [David Becker/Getty Images for Netflix/AFP]
Questions abound as to whether even a muscled-up Crawford will be able to hurt Alvarez.
The Mexican champion has looked a step slower in recent fights, but his counter-punching prowess could be dangerous if Crawford feels compelled to press the action.
Crawford said he wasn’t concerned.
“I’m feeling great,” he said. “I’m ready to go. Shock the world.”
Crawford has embraced his underdog status, making a point of calling out his critics throughout the build-up to the fight.
“I think people are underestimating everything about me,” he said. “From what everybody says, I haven’t fought anybody.
“It’s been a long time coming, it’s been long overdue,” added Crawford of the spotlight on him this week.
“And come Saturday, I’m going to show the world what they’ve been missing out on.”
Crawford is also ready for a pro-Alvarez crowd in Las Vegas the weekend before the Mexican Independence Day holiday on Tuesday.
One thing Crawford did not appear concerned about was the suggestion that popped up on social media this week that he is battling a shoulder injury.
He mocked the rumours when speaking to reporters.
“My shoulder is messed up, everyone,” he said in response to a question about the rumours. “But don’t tell Canelo.”
Two of boxing’s greatest fighters, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Terence “Bud” Crawford, will put their legacies on the line when they meet in a contest being called the “Fight of the Century”.
The pair will clash in a fascinating unified super middleweight title matchup in the United States that sees Alvarez, the reigning super middleweight champion at 76kg (168lb), defend his titles against Crawford, an American who has won 10 world titles boxing at lighter weight classifications but has never fought in excess of 70kg (154lb) and is jumping up two weight classes to fight his Mexican opponent.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
Here’s what you need to know before the fight:
When is the Alvarez-Crawford fight?
The ring walk for Saturday’s main fight in Las Vegas, Nevada, is scheduled for 8pm (03:00 GMT Sunday), and the bout will begin a short time later.
Where is the Alvarez-Crawford fight taking place?
The venue for the match is the 65,000-seat Allegiant Stadium, home to the Las Vegas Raiders NFL team.
The venue is being used because it has a much larger capacity than other indoor boxing venues typically used, namely T-Mobile Arena, which holds 20,000 people for boxing and UFC contests.
Alvarez, far left, and Crawford, far right, face off next to boxing promoter Turki Al-Sheikh, second from left, and UFC CEO Dana White at The Fountains of Bellagio on September 8, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada, US [David Becker/Getty Images via AFP]
Where can I follow and watch the fight live?
You can follow Al Jazeera’s build-up and live fight text and photo coverage here.
The bout will be streamed live globally on Netflix. A subscription is required to watch the event.
What are the pre-fight events?
Building up to the fight, the main news conference will occur at 3pm (22:00 GMT) on Thursday at T-Mobile Arena.
The official weigh-in will take place on Friday at 3pm (22:00 GMT), also at T-Mobile Arena.
What titles are Alvarez and Crawford fighting for?
Alvarez and Crawford are fighting for the Mexican’s WBO, WBA, IBF and WBC super middleweight world titles as well as the Ring Magazine title.
If Crawford beats Alvarez, he will become the first male boxer to be a three-weight-class undisputed champion in the four-belt era.
How much weight does Crawford have to gain to fight Alvarez?
Crawford, the current WBA super welterweight champion, will jump up about 6kg (14lb) to reach the 76kg (168lb) weight limit for the super middleweight bout against Alvarez.
The American will have a slight height advantage over Alvarez, standing 1.73 metres (5ft, 8 inches) vs his opponent’s 1.71 metres (5ft, 7.5 inches).
Crawford also has a 10cm (4-inch) reach advantage over the Mexican fighter (188cm/74 inches vs 178cm/70 inches).
Is Crawford carrying a shoulder injury?
There has been constant speculation in recent days that Crawford is struggling with a shoulder injury heading into Saturday’s huge fight.
In a Fight Hub TV interview broadcast on Tuesday, he denied the injury rumours.
“Where I got the shoulder injury from, I don’t know. I see people coming up with all their own antics, you know ‘Terrence Crawford got a shoulder injury,’ ‘Terrence Crawford is out of shape,’ ‘Terrence Crawford’s slow.’ They coming up with all kinds of stuff,” he said.
Who is Canelo Alvarez?
Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs), is Mexico’s biggest boxing star and a winner of 11 boxing world titles over an illustrious 20-year career.
The orthodox fighter never enjoyed a sterling amateur career, having turned professional at just 15 years old.
The 35-year-old is a four-division world champion: light middleweight, middleweight, super middleweight and light heavyweight.
In 2021, Alvarez became the first and only boxer in history to become the undisputed super middleweight champion when he knocked out Caleb Plant.
His two career losses have come against fellow legends Floyd Mayweather Jr and Dmitry Bivol but did little to dent Alvarez’s enormous popularity with boxing fans across the world.
Alvarez attends Netflix’s Canelo vs Crawford Grand Arrivals at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas hotel and casino on September 9, 2025 [Candice Ward/Getty Images via AFP]
Who is Terence Crawford?
Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) from Omaha, Nebraska, began his boxing career in 2008 and is undefeated as a professional.
The 37-year-old southpaw, who has won 10-world titles in total, is a former lightweight champion, junior welterweight undisputed champion and welterweight undisputed champion. Crawford is the current unified welterweight champion and WBA junior middleweight champion.
For his career, he is a four-division world champion and has held undisputed titles in two weight classes: super lightweight and welterweight.
Crawford attends Netflix’s Canelo vs Crawford Grand Arrivals at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas on September 9, 2025 [Candice Ward/Getty Images via AFP]
Who is on the undercard?
The preliminary card is scheduled to begin at 3:30pm (22:30 GMT) and the main card at 6pm (01:00 GMT on Sunday).
Main event:
Alvarez vs Crawford (super middleweight)
Callum Walsh vs Fernando Vargas Jr (super welterweight – co-main event)
Christian Mbilli vs Lester Martinez (super middleweight)
Mohammed Alakel vs John Ornelas (lightweight)
Preliminary card:
Serhii Bohachuk vs Brandon Adams (middleweight)
Ivan Dychko vs Jermaine Franklin (heavyweight)
Reito Tsutsumi vs Javier Martinez (super featherweight)
Sultan Almohammed vs Martin Caraballo (super lightweight)
Steven Nelson vs Raiko Santana (light heavyweight)
Marco Verde vs Marcos Osorio Betancourt (super middleweight)
What is the fight purse?
The total prize money has not been revealed, but it has been calculated as high as $150m, according to multiple media reports.
Alvarez will have a career-high payday with the Mexican earning a minimum of $100m for this fight thanks to signing one of the most lucrative boxing contracts in history: an astronomical five-fight, $400m deal with Saudi promoter Turki Al-Sheikh’s Riyadh Season.
Crawford is guaranteed a minimum of $10m although his final figure is likely to be substantially higher with bonuses and other payments.
Crawford, when asked about rumours of a $50m payday during a recent interview on the Ring Champs podcast, rejected the figure.
“I got $10m for that fight [with Alvarez],” Crawford said of his guaranteed prize purse.
Alvarez, left, and Crawford in Las Vegas before what is likely to be the highest profile fight of their superlative careers [David Becker/Getty Images via AFP]
What has Alvarez said about the fight?
Alvarez, speaking at the Grand Arrivals event in Las Vegas on Tuesday, asked whether Crawford’s team have underestimated moving up two weight classes.
“No, they don’t [underestimate the weight class]. Maybe they know, but if not, then I’m going to remind them September 13 I can do a lot of things in the ring, and I’m going to put everything there on Saturday night,” he said.
When asked about Crawford’s recent social post that appears to reveal extra muscle mass on the American fighter, Alvarez commented that he thought that bodes well for a competitive contest.
“I feel happy because you know that you realise it’s going to be a good fight. So we expect a good fight.”
What has Crawford said about the fight?
Crawford is calling the matchup the biggest fight in boxing in “probably a decade” as he bids to become the first male boxer to be undisputed in three weight classes.
“Canelo don’t want to lose to a guy moving up two weight classes,” Crawford said. “You know, he don’t want a smaller guy dethroning him from his undisputed status. Terence Crawford wants to move up and do all those things.
“He’s got a lot to lose. I got a lot to win. I got a lot to lose. He’s got a lot to win.”
The American praised Alvarez’s experience and career while backing his own tools to carry the night.
“Canelo is very experienced. I’m very experienced as well. You got two experienced fighters going head-to-head. The best man is going to win,” he said, adding that his footwork and speed could be decisive.
“I admire his whole career. He and his team have done a tremendous job,” Crawford said, adding that after he wins the battle, he will wish Alvarez “nothing but the best”.
Crawford predicted how the bout would end: “Victory. A good victory… They’re going to be saying that I’m the greatest of this generation and this era.”
Who is the favourite to win the match?
Multiple betting agencies around the world have Alvarez as the favourite to win the fight – but not by a wide margin.
On average, the Mexican pays out $1.60 for the victory vs Crawford’s $2.60 across several well-known betting pools.
Frmer two-weight world champion Andre Ward discusses how important winning Saturday’s fight in Las Vegas is for Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Terence Crawford.
A bloodied female and her male companion were escorted out of SoFi Stadium during the fourth quarter of the Rams season opener Sunday along with two other spectators who had engaged in the same violent altercation.
The woman and her companion were wearing jerseys of the Houston Texans, who the Rams defeated 14-9. Video clips on social media showed her face covered with blood when security guards led her from Section 428 high above the end zone.
The incident appeared to begin with words and shoving between the woman in the No. 99 jersey of retired Texans legend JJ Watt and a woman wearing a Rams jersey. The altercation escalated, with the man wearing the No. 7 jersey of Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud pouring a cup of beer on the head of the woman in the Rams jersey.
Two men in Rams jerseys one row above the brawl stood and began shoving and grabbing the two Texans fans until security personnel arrived about two minutes into the incident.
The two men from the row above removed their jerseys — one of former Rams great Aaron Donald and the other of Rams receiver Puka Nacua — but additional security personnel arrived, handcuffed both men and escorted them away.
SoFi Stadium, which opened in 2020, has been plagued by brawls. Oakland chef Daniel Luna was in a medically induced coma for weeks after Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics discovered him lying on the ground in the stadium’s Lot L during the NFC Championship Game between the Rams and San Francisco 49ers.
It took three days and an inquiry from The Times before Inglewood authorities acknowledged the incident. Bryan Alexis Cifuentes, 33, was charged with one felony count of battery with serious bodily injury after video showed that he dropped Luna with one punch. Cifuentes pleaded not guilty and investigators determined that Luna started the altercation when he shoved Cifuentes.
Luna sued the Rams and L.A. County, claiming that because he was drunk deputies should have put him in a form of protective custody after he was denied entrance to the stadium because he didn’t have a ticket.
The suit was dismissed by Inglewood Superior Court Judge Ronald F. Frank, who wrote that “the Sheriff’s Department did not create the peril in which plaintiff found himself. [Luna] alleges that he was already inebriated when he was detained initially. The sheriffs took no affirmative action which contributed to, increased, or changed the risk which would have otherwise existed.”
At least four fights have broken out at Chargers games at SoFi Stadium. The most recent was a brawl in a game against the Raiders in September 2024. A video provided to KTLA shows showed a group of Chargers fans fighting a shirtless man.
Several fights broke out off the field during the game, including one on a concourse exit that involved a dozen or more fans. No fans were arrested, according to the Inglewood Police Department.
After a game between the Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs in November 2022, a man was thrown over a railing. A person who recorded a video of the incident told KABC-TV Channel 7 that the fight began after one man bumped into another. A third man tried to intervene and was thrown over the railing onto the concrete steps below.
A 2022 poll of more than 3,000 fans by Sportsbook Review concluded that many NFL stadiums are more violent than SoFi Stadium and that fans generally feel safe attending games at the venue.
Crimes in and around stadiums occur all too often, with 39.2% of poll respondents reporting having witnessed or fallen victim to at least one crime in or outside a stadium. Only 5.4% of fans had witnessed a crime at SoFi, and only one of those polled said they had been a victim of a crime while attending a Rams or Chargers home game.
Sportsbook Review updated its rankings last week, with SoFi moving up from the 15th to the 11th most dangerous NFL stadium. M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens, is ranked as the most dangerous; Highmark Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills, is ranked as the safest.
TORONTO — Welcome to a special daily edition of the Envelope at TIFF, a newsletter collecting the latest developments out of Canada’s annual film showcase. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.
Our photo gallery’s latest includes Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Richard Linklater and more.
But click through for our video interviews, including Mark Olsen’s sit-down with Sydney Sweeney and the crew of her boxing movie “Christy,” which required a total transformation.
Sydney Sweeney in “Christy,” a portrait of boxing champ Christy Martin, having its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.
(Allie Fredericks / TIFF)
Here’s a taste of their exchange:
Sydney, people are already really talking about the physical transformation you make in the movie, the training that you did. What was it about the role that made it seem like you wanted to make that kind of commitment?
Sydney Sweeney: I mean, I couldn’t let Christy down, and I also love transforming for characters. That’s the whole reason of being an actor, is to be something different from yourself and to challenge ourselves.
So I had like two months of training. I built gyms in my house and I had a boxing trainer, I had a weight trainer, I had a nutritionist and would work out and train every single day.
And it was amazing. I loved it. Being able to completely lose yourself for somebody else and then have that person there next to your side. It was transformative.
Katy O’Brian, co-star: It was exhausting watching her do it.
Ben Foster, co-star: And in tribute to Syd, we’d shoot a 12-hour day that was dense, we’ll say, that would be a gentle word. She would then go train and choreograph the fights that she would do back-to-back after, one after another.
Sweeney: I’d be put in the middle of a ring and I’d have like nine girls and they would just drill me with all the different fights, one after the other for like two hours after we would wrap.
Because I really wanted the choreography to match the exact fights that she had in real life. So we would watch all the footage from her fights and memorize all the combinations and then implement those into the fight.
So everything you see were her actual fights. And so I’d wrap, I would do that for two hours, and then I would weight train.
David, there is something very unflinching about the movie. Why was it that you wanted to tell Christy’s story in a way that wasn’t afraid to explore these really dark and disturbing moments in her life?
David Michôd, director: In a way, the dark and disturbing was what made me want to make the movie. I had a clear sense that in this really wild and colorful story of a ’90s boxing pioneer was actually, underneath, it was a very important story to tell about how these coercive control relationships function.
And trying to wrap my brain around what keeps them functioning over, in this case, 20 years. And I knew that where Christy’s story went, it was harrowing.
And what the challenge for me then as a filmmaker was just to go, how do I do this being very conscious of not wanting to step into a world of representations of violence against women and all that kind of stuff, but not shying away from the horror that is very much there and is very palpable.
I could see a big sprawling movie that would start almost as a kind of conventional underdog pioneering sports movie and then morph into something that was deeply moving and important.
Sydney, Ben, what was it like for the two of you performing some of those darker scenes in the film and how did you keep some sense of humanity between the two of you?
Sweeney: There were so many conversations around a lot of those moments, and both Ben and I, we don’t like to rehearse and we kind of just want to feel it. And I think we both became very connected to who we were portraying and —
Foster: Listening.
Sweeney: We just listened
Foster: And Dave created a space where we could do that. And we would block it, we did a lot of talk privately, and then we would come in and jam and nudge. But the truth is Dave is quality control and would fine-tune moments.
The day’s buzziest premieres
‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert’
Elvis Presley performing live, as seen in Baz Luhrmann’s archival concert movie “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert.”
(TIFF)
How deep did Baz Lurhmann go researching his 2022 movie “Elvis”? Forty stories. That’s the depth of the Kansas salt mine where Warner Bros. had stored 59 hours of unseen recordings from Elvis Presley’s seven-year stint in Las Vegas.
Lurhmann studied it for his Oscar-nominated biopic, which mourned Presley as an artist in a cage and wondered who the curious, music-loving boy from Tupelo might have become if Col. Parker had let him, say, visit an ashram with the Beatles.
This time, the “Moulin Rouge!” director has said that he wants to use found footage to “let Elvis sing and tell his story” — as in, Lurhmann’s own spectacular sensibilities will cede center stage to Presley himself, who can still wow a crowd even during a late-career moment when his own fans feared he had more jumpsuits than ambition.
I’ll definitely be at the premiere to pay my respects to the King. — Amy Nicholson
‘Hamnet’
Jessie Buckley, center, in director Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet.”
(Agata Grzybowska / Focus Features)
You’re going to be hearing a lot of Oscar buzz in the coming months about various movies, along with people insisting that — seriously — this is the one you need to see. “Hamnet” is, far and away, that film, for three specific reasons.
Clockwise from right: Paul Mescal, Noah Jupe, Jacobi Jupe, director Chloé Zhao, Jessie Buckley and Emily Watson, photographed in the Los Angeles Times Studios at RBC House during the Toronto International Film Festival.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Second, I needed director Chloé Zhao to rebound after the mess that was “Eternals” to the confidence she displayed on “Nomadland” — and she’s done exactly that. Read our Telluride interview with her.
Finally, Jessie Buckley has uncorked one of the year’s most impressive turns: a grief-stricken plunge that elevates her to the level of Casey Affleck in “Manchester by the Sea.” Do not be surprised if, like Affleck, she goes all the way. — Joshua Rothkopf
Donald Trump’s recent floated proposal to deploy the National Guard to crime-overrun blue cities like Chicago and Baltimore has been met with howls of outrage from the usual suspects. For many liberal talking heads and Democratic officials, this is simply the latest evidence of Trump’s “authoritarianism.” But such specious analysis distracts from what all parties ought to properly focus on: the well-being of the people who actually live in such crime-addled jurisdictions.
What’s remarkable is not just the specific policy suggestion itself — after all, federal force has been called in, or sent in, to assist state-level law enforcement plenty of times — but rather how Trump is once again baiting his political opponents into defending the indefensible. He has a singular talent for making the left clutch onto wildly unpopular positions and take the wrong side of clear 80-20 issues. It’s political jiu-jitsu at its finest.
Crime in cities like Chicago and Baltimore isn’t a right-wing fever dream. It’s a persistent, documented crisis that continues to destroy communities and ruin lives. Chicago saw nearly 600 homicides in 2024 alone. In Baltimore, despite a recent downtick, violent crime remains exponentially higher than national averages. Sustained, decades-long Democratic leadership in both cities has failed, time and again, to secure even a minimum baseline level of safety for residents — many of whom are Black and working-class, two communities Democrats purport to champion.
Trump sees that leadership and quality-of-life vacuum. And he’s filling it with a popular message of law and order.
Trump’s proposal to deploy the National Guard isn’t the flight of fancy of a would-be strongman. It’s federalism functioning as the founders intended: The federal government must step in, per Article IV of the Constitution, when local governance breaks down so catastrophically that the feds are needed to “guarantee … a republican form of government.” Even more specifically, the Insurrection Act of 1807 has long been available as a congressionally authorized tool for presidents to restore order when state unrest reaches truly intolerable levels. Presidents from Jefferson to Eisenhower to Bush 41 have invoked it.
Trump’s critics would rather not have a conversation about bloody cities like Chicago — or the long history of presidents deploying the National Guard when local circumstances require it. They’d rather scream “fascism” than explain why a grandmother on the South Side of Chicago should have to dodge gang bullets on her way to church. They’d rather chant slogans about “abolishing the police” than face the hard fact that the communities most devastated by crime consistently clamor for more law enforcement — not less.
This is where Trump’s political instincts shine. He doesn’t try to “win” the crime debate by splitting the difference with progressives. He doesn’t offer a milquetoast promise to fund “violence interrupters” or expand toothless social programs. He goes right at the issue, knowing full well that the American people are with him.
Because they are. The public has consistently ranked crime and safety among their top concerns; last November, it was usually a top-five issue in general election exit polling. And polling consistently shows that overwhelming majorities — often in the 70-80% range — support more police funding and oppose the left’s radical decarceration agenda. Democrats, ever in thrall to their activist far-left flank, are stuck defending policies with rhetoric that most voters correctly identify as both dangerous and absurd.
Trump knows that when he floats these proposals, Democrats and their corporate media allies won’t respond with nuance. They’ll respond with knee-jerk outrage — just as they did in 2020, when Trump sent federal agents to Portland to stop violent anarchists from torching courthouses. The media framed it as martial law; sane Oregonians saw it as basic governance.
This dynamic plays out again and again. When Trump highlights the border crisis and the need to deport unsavory figures like Mahmoud Khalil and Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Democrats defend open borders. When Trump attacks gender ideology indoctrination in schools, Democrats double down on letting teachers hide children’s gender transitions from parents. When Trump condemns pro-Hamas rioters in American cities, Democrats can’t bring themselves to say a word of support for Israel’s war against a State Department-recognized foreign terrorist organization. When Trump signs an executive order seeking to prosecute flag burning, Democrats defend flag burning.
On and on it goes. By now, it’s a well-established pattern. And it’s politically devastating for the left. Moreover, the relevant history is on Trump’s side. This sort of federal corrective goes back all the way to the republic’s origins; those now freaking out might want to read up on George Washington’s efforts to quash the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794.
Call it the art of the 80-20 issue. Along with his sheer sense of humor, Trump’s instinctual knack for picking such winning battles is one of his greatest political assets. And this time, the winner won’t just be Trump himself — it will be Chicagoans and Baltimoreans as well.
Josh Hammer’s latest book is “Israel and Civilization: The Fate of the Jewish Nation and the Destiny of the West.” This article was produced in collaboration with Creators Syndicate. @josh_hammer
Insights
L.A. Times Insights delivers AI-generated analysis on Voices content to offer all points of view. Insights does not appear on any news articles.
The following AI-generated content is powered by Perplexity. The Los Angeles Times editorial staff does not create or edit the content.
Ideas expressed in the piece
The author argues that Trump’s proposal to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago and Baltimore represents strategic political positioning rather than authoritarianism, suggesting that Trump excels at forcing Democrats to defend unpopular stances on what the author characterizes as “80-20 issues” where public opinion heavily favors law and order approaches.
The piece contends that crime in these cities constitutes a genuine crisis that decades of Democratic leadership have failed to address, citing Chicago’s nearly 600 homicides in 2024 and Baltimore’s persistently high violent crime rates that disproportionately affect Black and working-class communities that Democrats claim to represent.
The author presents federal intervention as constitutionally sound and historically precedented, referencing Article IV’s guarantee clause and the Insurrection Act of 1807, while noting that presidents from Jefferson to Bush have deployed federal forces when local governance has broken down catastrophically.
The argument emphasizes that Trump’s direct approach to crime resonates with American voters who consistently rank safety among their top concerns, with polling showing 70-80% support for increased police funding and opposition to progressive decarceration policies, while Democrats remain beholden to activist positions that most voters find dangerous and absurd.
Different views on the topic
Local officials strongly oppose federal military intervention, with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker calling Trump’s comments “unhinged” and vowing that his administration is “ready to fight troop deployments in court,” arguing that state authority should be respected and that federal military deployment for domestic law enforcement raises serious constitutional concerns[2].
Recent crime data contradicts claims of persistent crisis, as Chicago’s overall crime rate in June 2025 was 12% lower than June 2018 and 8% lower than June 2019, with violent crime declining across all categories in the first half of 2025 compared to 2024, and the city’s homicide drop being about double the size of other large American cities[1].
Baltimore has experienced significant crime reductions, with the city recording its lowest homicide numbers, having 91 homicides and 218 nonfatal shootings as of September 1, 2025, representing a 22% decrease in homicides during the first six months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024[3][4].
Legal experts and courts have raised concerns about military deployment for domestic law enforcement, with a federal judge ruling that California National Guard deployment violated 19th century laws prohibiting military use for domestic law enforcement, while opponents argue that current crime trends do not justify extraordinary federal intervention measures[2].
A RUSSIAN oligarch’s estranged wife has won a six-year fight to drag her divorce battle into the English courts.
Natalia Potanina secured a landmark Court of Appeal ruling on Thursday to sue her billionaire ex-husband Vladimir Potanin, who is said to be worth around £15.7billion.
8
Vladimir Potanin with ex-wife Natalia PotaninaCredit: Alamy
8
Vladimir Putin and Potanin (right) during a meeting in SochiCredit: Alamy
8
Putin greets billionaire and businessman Potanin (left) during a group photo at a hockey match in Sochi, 2019Credit: Getty
Potanin is described as Russia’s second richest man and a pal of Vladimir Putin through their shared love of ice hockey.
Potanin is the chief executive of Norilsk Nickel, the world’s largest palladium producer and a global nickel giant.
But he was sanctioned by the UK and US in 2022 after Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine.
The former couple wed in Russia in 1983, where they lived for their entire married life and raised three children.
They split in acrimonious fashion, with Potanin claiming the marriage ended in 2007.
Potanina insists they only separated in 2013, with a Russian court finalising the divorce a year later.
She said at first she thought it was a “badly-worded joke” but was later told she “didn’t need money” when the subject of a financial settlement arose.
The pair first met as penniless students in the 1970s, when Russia was still under communism.
Potanina argues that her husband only built his fortune after their marriage, and that she supported him throughout his rise.
Putin’s icy encounter with rival at China parade may reveal his NEXT target
Despite his £15billion fortune, Potanina was awarded just £30.9million in the Russian courts – less than one per cent of the family wealth.
Lawyers for Potanin argue she actually received around £63m, but she insists the sum barely scratched the surface of their assets.
Now, after years of legal wrangling, Potanina has been cleared to bring a claim in London for financial relief – setting the stage for what could become the world’s biggest-ever marital split.
She is seeking half of her ex-husband’s beneficial interest in shares in Norilsk Nickel, along with half of the dividends paid on those shares since 2014.
She also wants half the value of a lavish Moscow mansion known as The Autumn House, on which the couple splashed out around £111million.
She is thought to be seeking around £5billion in total.
At the heart of earlier disputes was the couple’s palatial family home in Nemchinovo, 17 miles west of Moscow, where they lived with their three children – daughter Anastasia, and sons Ivan and Vasily.
Also up for grabs were two superyachts, including “The Anastasia,” named after their daughter, and “The Nirvana.”
Potanina’s legal team told the court she had earned her share of the fortune through years of marriage and by being the “main carer” of their children.
Her barrister, Charles Howard KC, branded the earlier dismissal of her case “inconsistent and illogical,” accusing the judge of falling into Potanin’s trap of repeatedly labelling her a “divorce tourist.”
Potanin’s lawyers, led by Lord Faulks KC, countered that the couple had “no connection with this jurisdiction during the marriage” and that Potanina only had “recent and modest connections” to England when she applied.
London’s High Court originally threw out her claim in 2019, warning that allowing it would mean “no limit to divorce tourism.”
That decision was overturned in 2021 by the Court of Appeal, only for Potanin to win a narrow 3-2 victory in the Supreme Court last year, which sent the case back to be reconsidered.
Now, judges Lord Justice Moylan, Lady Justice Falk and Lord Justice Cobb have sided with Potanina once again, ruling she had “substantial grounds” to pursue her claim in England.
8
Vladimir Potanin and Natalia Potanin, pictured on their wedding day in 1983
8
Potanin is said to be Russia’s second richest manCredit: Getty
8
The pair met in high school and lived together for thirty yearsCredit: Alamy
They said there was evidence she had “very largely severed her ties with Russia” and that her connection to the country was “increasingly tenuous.”
The ruling added: “The discrepancy between her award of the marital assets and the husband’s retained share was significant.
“The discrepancy between what she had recovered in Russia compared with what she would have recovered had the case been heard in this jurisdiction was equally significant.”
She said at the time to be fearing that if she returned to Russia her passport could be seized, preventing her from visiting her son studying in New York.
She also accused her husband of offering her only medical insurance, a driver, and maintenance for their youngest child, rather than a fair settlement.
The blockbuster ruling reignites fears that London will become the “divorce capital of the world.”
Jennifer Headon, head of international family law at Birketts LLP, said the High Court had already warned such a move could open the floodgates to “limitless” divorce tourism.
Sarah Jane Lenihan, partner at Dawson Cornwell, said few had expected such an outcome, asking: “The question now is whether it will open the door for others who have divorced overseas to seek a second bite at the cherry in England.”
Sital Fontenelle, head of family law at Kingsley Napley LLP, said the ruling reinforced the UK’s status as the “divorce capital of the world” and left the “door still open” for future claims.
Peter Burgess, partner at Burgess Mee, added that aspiring “divorce tourists” might now wait to demonstrate their links to England at a full hearing rather than being knocked back early.
She has previously said her situation reflects the discrimination faced by many women in Russia, where “the law is male, the ideology is male,” adding that she had been “deprived of money and driven out of the house.”
Potanina’s solicitor, Frances Hughes of Hughes Fowler Carruthers, hailed the ruling as a “second vindication” of her client’s case, saying Potanina was delighted and now hoped the matter could be “resolved without further delay.”
8
Putin meeting with metals magnate Vladimir Potanin at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow in 2017Credit: AFP
8
Potanina seeks billions more from her ex-husband after receiving less than one percent of assets in RussiaCredit: Getty
DEONTAY WILDER has welcomed a fight with Jake Paul – in a bid to dish out a “reality check”.
Wilder has become the latest champion of the past linked with a bout against YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul.
3
Deontay Wilder is open to fighting Jake PaulCredit: Getty
3
Jake Paul has been linked with a number of ex-championsCredit: AFP
And while it so far remains just another possibility on the table – Wilder is ready to come to the table for that lucrative conversation.
He told Brian Mazique: “Nothing has been presented to us, at the moment it’s not real, but if it came my way of course I’m 100 per cent taking it.
“He’s been doing his thing in the business although it’s not the traditional way, it’s not the logic way of how a fighter comes up or how he gains stardom and fame and fortune.
“Unfortunately, it’s a more brutal road than that. Some of these guys never, ever in their lifetime see $50,000, let alone $100,000 or $1million or $2million.
“It just doesn’t go like that. That module of how it is, it’s not like that. But it’s the wave of what young people are looking to or what they like.
“Unfortunately, people try and go off the vote of popularity. What’s going on, what’s popular, what can make them money.
“Money makes the world go round and everybody is trying to make that dollar – no matter what skill you’ve got if you can generate a crowd that generates to asses in seats that generates money.
“So all of this is a cycle that’s used and here it is you’ve got a guy that’s been doing good in generating money and putting asses in seats although he’s selective in how he fights and who he fights, I would say.”
Paul moved up to heavyweight in November when Mike Tyson controversially made a comeback aged 58.
And despite the scrutiny surrounding the showdown – over 100 MILLION tuned in on Netflix to watch Tyson lose over eight shorter rounds of two minutes.
Dillon Danis calls out Jake Paul after slamming ‘joke’ Gervonta Davis fight and says rival is ‘stealing people’s money’
Paul, 28, then returned in June to beat ex-middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, 39, over ten rounds to earn himself a No14 cruiserweight rank in the WBA.
The American – whose only loss in 13 fights came to Tommy Fury in 2023 – soon after entered shock talks to fight Anthony Joshua.
And two-time heavyweight champ AJ looked to be nearing a deal to face Paul next year.
Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek have proved they are only human, showing that even the best players in the world have to figure things out on the fly sometimes, as they fought back to claim victories at the US Open.
Wimbledon champion Swiatek embodied the day’s theme of triumph through adversity, clawing her way back from 5-1 down in the opening set against Anna Kalinskaya before grinding out a 7-6(2), 6-4 win in their third-round match on Saturday.
“I’m happy that I came back and kept … figuring out and problem-solving,” Swiatek said. “For sure, it wasn’t an easy match.”
The world number two was far from her sharpest in a scrappy, error-strewn contest – nine breaks and 67 unforced errors by both players combined painted the picture of a match won through sheer bloody-mindedness rather than sublime shot-making.
Yet Swiatek steadied herself at the key moments, saving four set points in the first set and breaking late in the second to notch her 20th major match win of the season and draw level with defending champion and world number one Aryna Sabalenka.
“It’s not easy sometimes to find the solutions and to find the exact thing that will help you,” she added.
“You need to have your mind open enough to think about what you can do. Today was a pretty good day, I’d say, in terms of that, because, you know, at 5-1 or something, it’s easy to panic, and I didn’t.”
Her reward is a last-16 meeting with 13th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
World number one Sinner showed similar resolve, surrendering the opening set to 27th seed Denis Shapovalov before rallying to prevail 5-7 6-4 6-3 6-3.
The victory extended the 24-year-old Italian’s unbeaten run at hardcourt Grand Slams to 24 matches, a streak built not just on talent but on his ability to problem-solve when his best tennis abandons him.
“I’m not a machine, you know. I also struggle sometimes,” said Sinner, who was beaten by the Canadian in the opening round of the 2021 Australian Open in their only previous meeting.
“Every match is so difficult. Every challenge is so difficult.
“There are players who have more qualities or potential, and he’s one of them. I just tried to stay there mentally.”
Jannik Sinner came back from a set down to beat Denis Shapovalov [Elsa/Getty Images via AFP]
Zverev loses control – again
Not all the top seeds found the same winning formula.
World number three Alexander Zverev, still chasing his first Grand Slam title, saw his tournament end in frustration as Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime rallied from a set down to stun the German 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-4, 6-4.
Zverev grew increasingly rattled as the match slipped away, slamming his racquet in frustration as Auger-Aliassime’s fearless shot-making turned the tide.
The extended weekend’s most intriguing battle of wills is yet to come, as Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff set up a fourth-round showdown that will dominate the headlines in the second week of the tournament.
Four-time major champion Osaka overcame a mid-match wobble to overpower 15th seed Daria Kasatkina 6-0, 4-6, 6-3, while last year’s champion Gauff dismissed Poland’s Magdalena Frech 6-3, 6-1 in her most convincing performance of the week.
Organisers could not have scripted it better for US fans: a showdown between two charismatic former champions six years after their memorable first meeting at Flushing Meadows.
In 2019, defending champion Osaka routed a tearful 15-year-old Gauff 6-3, 6-0, then comforted her opponent and urged her to address fans in the stadium, a display of sportsmanship that delighted the crowd.
“It would be a cool kind of deja vu type of situation, but hopefully it will be a different result,” Gauff said.
Six years after their first meeting in NYC, Coco and Naomi meet again in Round 4 🤩 pic.twitter.com/SzSKAbnCFh
Even the doubles courts reflected the theme of experience and determination, with 45-year-old Venus Williams and Canada’s Leylah Fernandez earning a 7-6(1), 6-1 win over Ulrikke Eikeri and Eri Hozumi in their first tournament together.
Meanwhile, Andrey Rublev put an end to the fairytale run of Hong Kong’s Coleman Wong in five sets.
There were three more retirements in the men’s draw on Saturday after the injury-induced exit of sixth seed Ben Shelton the day before.
Alex de Minaur, Lorenzo Musetti and 435th-ranked Swiss qualifier Leandro Riedi all moved on when their opponents threw in the towel.
Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova beat Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, while Czech 11th seed Karolina Muchova and Ukrainian 27th seed Marta Kostyuk both won in three sets.
The fight to save Dulan’s on Crenshaw … Jenn Harris’ immersion into Nobu Los Angeles vibes … the post-fire rebirth of Altadena’s Bernee as Betsy … plus a new restaurant with no-tip, no-fee, no-surprises menu pricing and more. I’m Laurie Ochoa, general manager of L.A. Times Food, with this week’s Tasting Notes.
Saving L.A. soul food
Greg Dulan inside Dulan’s on Crenshaw.
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
On May 26, 1978, at 4:45 a.m., Adolf Dulan took out a black marker and yellow legal pad. The future “king of soul food,” who a few years later would open the Southern food mecca Aunt Kizzy’s Back Porch, noted the date and time in the upper right-hand corner and wrote across the top sheet in capital letters: “GREG.”
Then, itemizing each point in Roman numerals and underlining key words twice, the late social worker-turned-entrepreneur, who started out with an Orange Julius franchise and had at that point opened his first independent restaurant, Hamburger City, wrote instructions to his eldest son, Greg Dulan, on running a business.
One of Adolf Dulan’s five guidelines: “Find out [the] cost of each item you sell and how much profit it brings in — determine if you need to drop or add items to be sold.”
At the bottom of the second sheet of paper, taped to the first sheet to form a scroll-like document, Adolf Dulan wrote this directive to his son: “If you are ever going to be a business man, this will be your bible to use … [for] ‘making the nut.’ ”
One piece of advice the elder Dulan didn’t pass on to his son: Don’t let a parking lot deal take you down.
Earlier this week Greg Dulan, who in 1992 opened his own successful soul food restaurant, Dulan’s on Crenshaw — years before his father started Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen — posted a call on social media for help from the community.
“I bought some adjacent real estate with the goal of building parking for the restaurant and a culinary kitchen for training and workforce development,” he said on a video collaboration with radio station KJLH. “The real estate portion is dragging down the restaurant. The restaurant is doing great but the overall business is in trouble and maybe won’t survive unless I get some kind of support.”
On a fundraising page put up by the nonprofit civic and public arts organization Destination Crenshaw, the situation for the restaurant, which reopened early last year after a two-year renovation, was presented as dire: “With foreclosure looming on September 6,” read the plea, “time is measured in days, not weeks.”
During a phone interview on Friday afternoon, however, Greg Dulan wanted to make one thing clear: “I’m going to be here.” There’s no way, he insisted, that he’s giving up on his restaurant without a fight.
“It’s more of a real estate issue than a restaurant issue,” he said. “The remodel took longer than I expected, and it went over budget. It ate up a lot of my reserve capital.”
Dulan’s on Crenshaw, on a busy section of Los Angeles’ Crenshaw corridor, which has become denser with redevelopment and the building of the Metro K line. After a two-year renovation, the restaurant, which has been a fixture for more than 30 years, reopened early last year.
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Redevelopment along the Crenshaw corridor, which prompted Dulan’s renovation, also put pressure on the restaurant. “We lost a lot of parking,” Dulan said. “The density on Crenshaw has been increased.”
He added valet parking to help relieve the pressure but hasn’t had the money to build a proper parking lot for the restaurant. Earlier this year, however, he started using the production kitchen on one of the two lots he bought to prepare heat-and-serve meals for Vallarta supermarket’s Hyde Park location and hopes to expand that operation.
The problem is that he took out a hard-money loan to fund the business and now a big balloon payment is due. “Sept. 6,” he said, “is the deadline for me to satisfy my loan obligation or refinance.” He’s hoping to avoid selling the two parcels he bought or even the land with the restaurant itself, but if he is forced to sell he says he would find a way to keep the restaurant going.
“I can run a successful restaurant,” Dulan said over the phone, “but real estate development is a whole different animal.”
Since the word went out that Dulan’s was in trouble, many people have responded with offers to help the restaurant, a soul food fixture for more than 30 years. “We’re getting calls from a lot of celebrities and people from the community,” he said. “Revenue is up 40% at the restaurant.”
Whether these offers will lead to a solution for Dulan’s money troubles is still uncertain, but for Los Angeles soul food lovers, the remodel has been a success. Dulan’s refurbished patio area has become a popular gathering spot for family parties, political events and even yoga classes. And his fried chicken is still some of the best in the city.
Fried chicken, meat loaf and more soul food favorites at Dulan’s on Crenshaw.
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
“I had no idea that that my little soul food restaurant would go viral,” Dulan said of the community response, “but apparently we built up a lot of goodwill that I underestimated.”
Vibes and miso cod at Nobu Los Angeles
A view of the sushi bar and main dining room at Nobu Los Angeles on La Cienega Boulevard.
(Catherine Dzilenski / For The Times)
Nobu Los Angeles, “which opened in 2008, several years after its more famous Malibu cousin,” writes columnist Jenn Harris, “is somewhat of a hidden gem on a stretch of La Cienega Boulevard, where black cars once swarmed its valet stand and reservations were elusive. Now … weeknight dinner reservations are procured with ease.” Though it “still vibrates with a current of money, celebrity and those who seek it,” Nobu L.A., Harris says, “suffers from the aesthetic malaise of an Asian-themed chain restaurant in the mid-2000s … The menu, for the most part, is … past its prime even if everyone (this writer included) still loves the black cod with miso.”
With a new chef at the helm of Nobu Los Angeles and a Netflix documentary on founder Nobu Matsuhisa released this summer, Harris tries to determine the value of the younger restaurant, up the road from the original Matsuhisa, which after nearly 40 years, she writes, has “exemplary” nigiri. Can Nobu L.A. “continue to thrive on vibes”?
Post-fire rebirth
At the newly reopened and renamed Betsy in Altadena (formerly Bernee), owner Tyler Wells, in a wide-brimmed hat, huddles with his staff at the bar overlooking the hearth.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
I was one of the few who was able to eat at the ambitious Altadena restaurant Bernee in the single month it was open before the Eaton fire destroyed much of the neighborhood around it. The restaurant, which was saved from the flames, was one of the spots that had been attracting diners from all over Los Angeles to the neighborhood. After the fire, chef Tyler Wells — who lost his home and was in the process of separating from his wife and restaurant partner, Ashley — thought he might leave the state and start over. But as Food’s Stephanie Brejo writes, Wells was drawn back to Altadena and is reopening the restaurant this weekend with a new name, Betsy, in honor of his late mother. Breijo’s story has all the details of Wells’ post-fire journey.
Chef-owner Justin Pichetrungsi’s doodles of new dishes for the renovated Anajak Thai Cuisine, left, and dishes served before the restaurant’s extensive remodel.
(Stephanie Breijo and Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times
)
And if you missed it, Breijo also talked with Anajak Thai‘s Justin Pichetrungsi last week about the two-month renovation of his family’s restaurant, which has reopened. “The hardest part of the business is the organization part, not the innovation,” he told Breijo. “Innovation is so fun…. But with all the behind-the-scenes stuff, people never saw how broken [the restaurant] was in order to make the show go on.” I can’t wait to check out the new show.
‘Instant-izing’ food
Customers shop and eat in the dining area at CU Ramyun Library convenience store in Hongdae, Seoul. Ramyun packets are ranked in terms of spiciness levels from “mild” to “very hot & hell.”
(Tina Hsu / For The Times)
Imagine “nearly every conceivable dish” … “turned into a packaged meal,” even “fried rice that you squeeze out of a tube,” writes Times Seoul correspondent Max Kim. “These have turned convenience stores into a $25-billion industry in South Korea and those food products are churned out at a staggering pace: up to 70 new food items hit the shelves each week, effectively offering a live feed of South Korean tastes.”
“In South Korea’s food retail market,” convenience store critic Chae Da-in tells Kim, “you go extinct if you’re not quick to change.”
Newsletter
You’re reading Tasting Notes
Our L.A. Times restaurant experts share insights and off-the-cuff takes on where they’re eating right now.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
Cooling down
The refreshing Mexican drink suero with lime and sparkling water.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
For these sweltering days, contributor Carolynn Carreñowrote about the refreshing Mexican water cocktail suero. It’s made with lime, sparkling water and lots of ice, then served in a salt-rimmed glass. She also includes two other cooling drink recipes, including IPA-Lada Michelada from the much-missed Whittier restaurant Colonia Publica and Salty Angeleno Micheladas, developed in our Times Test Kitchen using our own L.A. Times Salty Angeleno blend developed in collaboration with Burlap & Barrel. Salty Angeleno and our other spice blends, California Heat and L.A. Asada, are available online at Burlap & Barrel.
In the kitchen
Martin Draluck prepares sweet potato chili in the Times Test Kitchen.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Black Pot Supper Club chef and founder Martin Draluck, who was featured in the Netflix documentary series “High on the Hog” on Black food traditions, came to the Times Test Kitchen recently for our “Chef That!” video series. Watch him make sweet potato chili with a secret ingredient — a tab of Abuelita chocolate. As deputy food editor Betty Hallock writes, it “gives the chili a mole-reminiscent richness.” The vegetarian chili, she adds, “comes together in under an hour. Find the recipe here.
And if you missed last week’s “Chef That!” episode, you can watch Adrian Forte, the cookbook author of “Yawd” and chef at Sam Jordan’s modern Caribbean restaurant Lucia, make easy fried plantains with Scotch Bonnet aioli. Get the 30-minute recipe here.
Early bird tickets
VIP tickets (allowing early entry) to The Times’ Food Bowl Night Market, presented by Square, are already sold out for the Saturday-night session taking place Oct. 11 at City Market Social House in downtown L.A. But Friday-night VIP tickets are still available and for early birds, there is a “date night deal” with two general admission tickets available for $199, a savings of about 20%. More than 40 restaurants are participating, including Holbox, Baroo, the Brothers Sushi, OyBar,Heritage Barbecue, Crudo e Nudo, Hummingbird Ceviche House, Rossoblu, Perilla LA, Evil Cooks, Villa’s Tacos, Holy Basil and Luv2Eat Thai Bistro. Check lafoodbowl.com for tickets and info.
Also …
A recent latte art throwdown at Picaresca Barra de Café in Boyle Heights.
(Julie Wolfson / For The Times)
Latte art “throwdowns, special menus, omakases, pop-ups, speakeasies and out-of-the-box events are part of L.A.’s growing underground coffee scene,” writes contributor Julie Wolfson in her guide to 9 places to check out IYKYK coffee events. Kumquat, Be Bright, York Manor Market, the Pasadena branch of Woon, Mandarin and Picaresca Barra de Café are some of places that host the events. Of course, if you don’t want to wait for a special event to immerse yourself in coffee geekdom, Jack Benchakul is almost always pouring and, as restaurant critic Bill Addison described a while back, talking water alkalinity at Endorffeine in Chinatown.
“The American beverage firm Keurig Dr Pepper,” reports the business section’s Caroline Petrow-Cohen, plans to buy JDE Peet’s, the European parent company of California’s gourmet coffee trailblazer, Peet’s Coffee, in an all-cash transaction worth about $18 billion.” Note that JDE Peet’s also owns Stumptown.
And here’s a restaurant model to watch: San Francisco’s soon-to-open 14-seat counter spot La Cigale from chef-owner Joseph Magidow is instituting all-inclusive pricing with no additional tax, tip or service fees. “When the bill arrives, there will be no surprises,” reports the San Francisco Chronicle’sElena Kadvany. “The price on the set menu — $140 — is exactly what diners pay.”
Newsletter
Eat your way across L.A.
Like what you’re reading? Sign up to get it in your inbox every week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe is calling Missouri lawmakers into a special session to redraw the state’s U.S. House districts as part of a growing national battle between Republicans and Democrats seeking an edge in next year’s congressional elections.
Kehoe’s announcement Friday comes just hours after Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law a new congressional voting map designed to help Republicans gain five more seats in the 2026 midterm elections. It marked a win for President Trump, who has been urging Republican-led states to reshape district lines to give the party a better shot at retaining control of the House.
Missouri would become the third state to pursue an unusual mid-decade redistricting for partisan advantage. Republican-led Texas took up the task first but was quickly countered by Democratic-led California.
Kehoe scheduled Missouri’s special session to begin Sept. 3.
Missouri is represented in the U.S. House by six Republicans and two Democrats — Reps. Wesley Bell in St. Louis and Emanuel Cleaver in Kansas City. Republicans hope to gain one more seat by reshaping Cleaver’s district to stretch further from Kansas City into suburban or rural areas that lean more Republican.
Some Republicans had pushed for a map that could give them a 7-1 edge when redrawing districts after the 2020 census. But the GOP legislative majority ultimately opted against it. Some feared the more aggressive plan could be susceptible to a legal challenge and could backfire in a poor election year for Republicans by creating more competitive districts that could allow Democrats to win three seats.
Republicans won a 220-215 House majority over Democrats in 2024, an outcome that aligned almost perfectly with the share of the vote won by the two parties in districts across the U.S., according to a recent Associated Press analysis. Although the overall outcome was close to neutral, the AP’s analysis shows that Democrats and Republicans each benefited from advantages in particular states stemming from the way districts were drawn.
Democrats would need to net three seats in next year’s election to take control of the chamber. The incumbent president’s party tends to lose seats in the midterm elections, as was the case for Trump in 2018, when Democrats won control of the House and subsequently launched investigations of Trump.
Seeking to avoid a similar situation in his second term, Trump has urged Republican-led states to fortify their congressional seats.
In Texas, Republicans already hold 25 of the 38 congressional seats.
“Texas is now more red in the United States Congress,” Abbott said in a video he posted on X of him signing the legislation.
In response to the Texas efforts, Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom approved a November statewide election on a revised U.S. House map that gives Democrats there a chance of winning five additional seats. Democrats already hold 43 of California’s 52 congressional seats.
Newsom, who has emerged as a leading adversary of Trump on redistricting and other issues, tauntingly labeled Abbott on X as the president’s “#1 lapdog” following the signing.
Voting rights groups filed a lawsuit this week ahead of Abbott’s signing the bill, saying the new map weakens the electoral influence of Black voters. Texas Democrats have also vowed to challenge the new map in court.
The redistricting battle could spread to other states. Republicans could seek to squeeze more seats out of Ohio, where the state constitution requires districts to be redrawn before the 2026 elections.
Republican officials in Florida, Indiana and elsewhere also are considering revising their U.S. House districts, as are Democratic officials in Illinois, Maryland and New York.
In Utah, a judge recently ordered the Republican-led Legislature to draw new congressional districts after finding that lawmakers had weakened and ignored an independent commission established by voters to prevent partisan gerrymandering. Republicans have won all four of Utah’s congressional seats under the map approved by lawmakers in 2021.
Lieb and DeMillo write for the Associated Press. DeMillo reported from Little Rock, Ark. AP journalist Jim Vertuno contributed from Austin, Texas.
MAGA loves a red cap and boasty T-shirt slogan, but not when it’s coming from California Gov. Gavin Newsom and it looks a lot like the gear they purchased from the Trump Store. So guess what the governor did over the weekend?
After weeks of mocking tweets from Newsom that mimic Trump’s usage of ALL CAPS, multiple exclamation points and memes picturing the 79-year-old as a ripped young man, the governor took the next logical step in his get-under-their-skin campaign and launched his own store for merch, the Patriot Shop.
“THE PATRIOT SHOP IS NOW OPEN!!!” he crowed. “MANY PEOPLE ARE SAYING THIS IS THE GREATEST MERCHANDISE EVER MADE. PLEASE ENJOY, AMERICA!”
But how will Newsom’s parody products compete with the president’s monetization of office, a grift that’s made millions selling Trump-themed sneakers, Christmas gift wrap, perfume, cryptocurrency and even guitars?
It starts with a red trucker cap, naturally. The governor’s reads “NEWSOM WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING.” The product’s description includes the explainer: “Humility is overrated.”
Curiously, it was just last week when the president wore a red hat that said, “Trump was right about everything!” and told reporters, “I know Gavin very well. He’s an incompetent guy with a good line of bulls—.”
Also available on Newsom’s clapback merch site is a tank top echoing Trump’s own words about a woman who will never, ever support him: Taylor Swift. “TRUMP IS NOT HOT,” it reads in bold red letters. The product description that follows: “A simple statement of fact.”
Three hours after the launch of the shop, Newsom boasted in an X post: “WOW! $50,000 IN PURCHASES ALREADY!! THANK YOU PATRIOTS!!!” By Monday, sales had doubled, according to a follow-up post.
Fox News coverage of the governor’s latest move in his troll-Trump campaign was low wattage compared with last week, when the conservative news outlet devoted days to Newsom’s “embarrassing” social media antics. How dare he refer to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis by Trump’s mean nickname, “Meatball Ron.” That’s the president’s job!
Sunday it appeared Fox was determined not to show any big feelings over Newsom’s new MAGA-inspired line of merch. Will Cain delivered the news with a halting discipline and just a jab or two, calling the governor a “shadow” of their beloved leader. Newsom’s X account still ran with it, thanking Fox News for its coverage of his new cyber store. “Thank you for the promotion of our ‘FANTASTIC’ Patriot Shop, @WillCainShow !!!!!”
The Patriot Shop also lists a “Holy Bible” signed by “America’s Favorite Governor!” for $100, but it’s marked “SOLD OUT!” It harks back to when Trump marketed his own “God Bless the USA” Bible, which included the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. I guess we’ll never know what Newsom might have included in his.
The site also features “The Chosen One” T-shirt, featuring an image of Newsom being prayed over by notable Trump supporters Tucker Carlson, Kid Rock and the late Hulk Hogan. Trump in 2019 declared himself “the chosen one.”
Newsom has been both heralded and chided for turning the president’s bully tactics back on the MAGA elite, but if social media response is any indication, it appears to be one of the few moves from an establishment Democrat that’s energizing the base and gaining attention on a national level. His taste-of-their-own-medicine campaign gained his X press account more than 250,000 new followers in August alone. And Newsom’s change in tactics has been at the top of news feeds for a week.
It appears Trump has clearly been triggered by Newsom. At a recent White House Cabinet meeting, the president said, “You have an incompetent governor in California. Gavin. I know him very well. … He’s a nice guy, looks good. [Imitating Newsom] ‘Hi everybody. How you doing?’ He’s got some strange hand action going on.”
The United States warships are approaching Venezuelan waters in the southern Caribbean as part of President Donald Trump’s effort to fight drug trafficking, reports said.
The Trump administration has accused Venezuela’s left-wing President Nicolas Maduro of being involved in cocaine trafficking and working with drug cartels. On August 7, the US Departments of State and Justice doubled the reward for information leading to the arrest of Maduro to $50m after accusing him of being “one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world”.
In response, Maduro has urged millions of Venezuelans to join militias, saying, “No empire will touch the sacred soil of Venezuela.”
On Monday, the Venezuelan government announced that it is sending 15,000 troops to its border with Colombia to fight drug trafficking, amid growing pressure from the Trump administration.
So why are the US warships heading to Venezuelan waters, and how is it being seen in Latin American nations, including Venezuela?
Why is the Trump administration sending navy warships to Venezuelan waters?
Multiple news reports say that the Trump administration has dispatched navy warships to the southern Caribbean, saying that these missions are intended to counter threats to US national security posed by organisations in the region that the US has designated as “narco-terrorist organizations.”
The New York Times reported last month that Trump signed a secret directive ordering the Pentagon to use military force against certain Latin American drug cartels that the US has deemed foreign “terrorist” organisations.
On Monday, the Reuters news agency reported that the US ordered additional ships to the southern Caribbean, citing two sources familiar with the deployment.
The sources told Reuters, on the condition of anonymity, that the USS Lake Erie, a guided missile cruiser and the USS Newport News, a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, will arrive in the region by early next week.
Last week, multiple news agencies reported that three US Aegis-class guided missile destroyers were headed to Venezuelan waters.
According to two individuals briefed on the deployment – who anonymously spoke to Reuters – the USS San Antonio, USS Iwo Jima and USS Fort Lauderdale were headed towards the Venezuelan coast, carrying 4,500 US service members, including 2,200 Marines.
In both the reports, Reuters said that the unnamed sources refrained from disclosing the specific objectives of the deployments but indicated that recent military movements were intended to address threats to US national security posed by designated “narco-terrorist organizations.”
On August 14, the US Fleet Forces Command published a news release saying that sailors and Marines assigned to the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group had departed from Norfolk, Virginia and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The news release does not explicitly state details of the mission or specify where the group is being deployed.
The release says, “More than 4,500 Sailors and Marines from the 22nd MEU comprise the force aboard the ARG’s three amphibious ships: flagship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), and the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships USS San Antonio (LPD 17) and USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28).”
Reporters asked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt about the possibility of US boots on the ground in Venezuela on August 19. In response, she said, “President [Donald] Trump has been very clear and consistent. He’s prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice.”
Leavitt reiterated that the US does not recognise Maduro’s administration as the legitimate government of Venezuela. Maduro won last year’s disputed election. The US and Venezuela have not had a formal diplomatic relationship since 2019.
How is Trump cracking down on drug trafficking?
On his inauguration day on January 21, Trump signed an executive order designating international drug cartels as foreign “terrorist” organisations.
“In certain portions of Mexico, they function as quasi-governmental entities,” the order says. Mexico opposed the order because it created the threat of US military action against the country.
In response, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that her government will cooperate with the US to fight drug trafficking, but opposed US intervention on Mexico’s territory. “What we insist on is the defence of our sovereignty and our independence,” she said back in January.
Trump also accused Canada and Mexico of failing to prevent fentanyl, a highly addictive synthetic opioid, from entering the US – although he has not furnished proof for his claims.
After Trump threatened tariffs on Mexican imports, Sheinbaum deployed 10,000 National Guard troops to the US-Mexico border to help regulate immigration.
On February 20, the US State Department designated eight international cartels as foreign terrorist organisations, including Mexico-based Cartel del Golfo, Sinaloa Cartel, Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion, Carteles Unidos, La Nueva Familia Michoacana and Cartel del Noreste, California-based Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), and Venezuela-based Tren de Aragua.
US officials accused both Maduro and Venezuelan Minister of Popular Power for Interior Diosdado Cabello of collaborating with the Cartel de los Soles (“Cartel of the Suns”), a drug trafficking organisation that Washington has designated as a “terrorist” group. Cabello, like Maduro, is part of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV).
Maduro has rejected the Trump administration’s accusations earlier. The US government has not provided any evidence linking Maduro to drug cartels.
The US announced earlier this month that it had doubled the reward for Maduro’s capture on drug charges to $50m. In a video on August 7, US Attorney General Pam Bondi also accused Maduro of collaborating with the Venezuelan crime syndicate Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico. “He is one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world,” Bondi said about Maduro.
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) August 7, 2025
Earlier this year, the US also raised the reward for the arrest or prosecution of Cabello from $10m to $25m.
During Trump’s first term in 2020, Maduro and his close allies were indicted in Manhattan federal court on federal charges of “narco-terrorism” and conspiracy to import cocaine. Back then, Washington offered a $15mm reward for his arrest. The administration of US President Joe Biden increased this bounty to $25m.
How has the Venezuelan government responded?
On Monday, Cabello announced that Caracas will send 15,000 troops to strengthen security in the border states of Zulia and Tachira, which border Colombia.
“Here, we do fight drug trafficking; here, we do fight drug cartels on all fronts,” the minister said, while also announcing the seizure of 53 tonnes of drugs so far this year.
Cabello stated that the enhanced security measures along the border with Colombia, aimed at “combating criminal groups,” will also include the deployment of aircraft, drones and riverine security, according to local media outlet Noticias Venevision. Cabello urged Colombian authorities to take similar steps to “ensure peace along the entire axis.”
Referring to the deployment of US warships on Venezuelan waters, Maduro said, “From the north, the empire has gone mad and, like a rotten rehash, has renewed its threats to the peace and stability of Venezuela,” Caracas-based news network, Globovision reported.
“We are not fakes nor drug traffickers, and we will defend the dignity of beloved Venezuela,” Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez told a crowd of military recruits over the weekend.
How have Venezuelan opposition leaders responded?
Opposition figure Marina Corina Machado called Maduro the “head of the Cartel of the Sun,” in an X post on Monday. Machado was disqualified weeks before last year’s election.
But opposition leader Henrique Capriles warned against an act of force against Venezuela. “We firmly express our rejection of any act of force against Venezuela, regardless of its origin. The sovereignty of our country is sacred and must be unconditionally respected. The United Nations Charter and International Law clearly establish that no State can attack another, as it would result in the loss of human lives,” he posted on X.
Capriles, who lost to Maduro in the 2013 presidential election, added that regional peace must be defended.
“The government, currently in power, has the duty to open the doors and create the mechanisms necessary to prevent our crisis from worsening further.”
Juan Guaido, the West-backed interim president between 2019 and 2022, supported the actions taken by the United States against Venezuelan cartels. “The Cartel of the Suns and the Tren de Aragua have already been designated as terrorist organizations. Their leader is not hidden in the shadows: his name is Nicolas Maduro, a dictator responsible for this criminal network that drains Venezuela and threatens the entire region,” he posted a statement on X on Monday.
What have other Latin American leaders said?
Mexico’s Sheinbaum said earlier this month that her government does not have any evidence linking Maduro to the Sinaloa Cartel, which is based in her country and is named after the Mexican state of Sinaloa.
On the other hand, the office of the president of Paraguay, Santiago Pena Palacios, posted a statement on X on Friday declaring the “Cartel of the Suns” a foreign terrorist organisation.
Darren Till (L) is looking to make it three from three in Misfits boxing with a win over Luke Rockhold.
2
Luke Rockhold (L) is set to make his boxing debut against Darren Till on August 30.
Till boasted a UFC record of 18-5-1 and has since transferred his skill to the Misfits ring.
The Liverpool born fighter, 32, has won his first two fights since making his Misfits boxing debut, convincingly defeating Anthony Taylor by TKO and Darren Stewart by unaminous decision.
“The Gorilla” will be eager to continue his form with a win over Rockhold and is favourite for the bout.
American retired MMA star Rockhold makes his much anticipated boxing debut on August 30.
The 40-year-old star is most remembered for becoming the seventh UFC Middleweight champion in UFC history just over a decade ago.
It will be a tough challenge for Rockhold as he makes the transition into boxing, but he will be hoping for a strong underdog victory against the in-form Till.
When is Till vs Rockhold?
Till vs Rockhold will take place on Saturday, August 30.
Streaming for the event begins at 7pm BST.
The ring-walks for the main event will be approximately at 10pm BST.
The bout will take place in Manchester at the AO Arena.
What TV channel is Till vs Rockhold on and can it be live streamed?
The whole fight card will stream live on DAZN in over 200 countries across the globe via a DAZN subscription.
If you are not currently a DAZN member, then monthly and annual subscription options are available to watch over 185 fights a year across boxing, bare knuckle boxing, MMA and kickboxing.
An Annual Super Saver subscription is a one-off payment of £119.99 / $224.99 for 12-months access (£14.99 / $19.99 per month if paying in monthly instalments).
A Monthly Flexible pass, which can be cancelled at any time, is £24.99 / $29.99 per month.
Alternatively, SunSport’s live blog will bring you round-by-round updates from the huge card.
Who else is on the card?
Here are all the bouts taking place in Manchester:
