Question: Let’s have an update on your protege, Lucas Roehrig? How’s he getting on and when’s his next fight? 

George Groves: He’s a great lad, boxed in Newcastle just at the start of month and it was another good win, solid performance. He was gonna be out this weekend as well, but he has a little niggle with his hand, a few things. So we said let’s just have a rest. 

But he’s had a great start to his career. He’s now 5-0, from his first fight in December, almost a bout a month. So he’s hit the ground running and everyone’s excited about him. I’m very excited about him. He’s doing okay. 

Q: Do you have to rein him in a bit? Does he want to fight any bigger names and you have to almost hold him back a bit? 

A: He doesn’t always express that to me. He’s sometimes quite reserved. I think he’s always worried I’m gonna ask him to do lots but he backs himself entirely and we’re just enjoying the journey. And I told him that’s what to do right now, just enjoy the journey. He’s been sparring with some great guys. You’ve got to be patient and ambitious, it’s a fine line. 

Q: Do you see a bit of yourself in him? How did you feel in those early stages of your career before you stepped up to world level? 

A: I mean I had an instant rival in James DeGale, who was the Olympic champion when I turned pro. So I was itching to progress. I felt like I need to be not just one step ahead of DeGale, I need to be multiple steps ahead of DeGale. And I used that as a motivation. A lot of the time I wanted to push on, I always wanted to be in tests and show people that I mean business. And it served me well. It served him well as well. So, you know, I won a domestic title, a Commonwealth title after nine fights. I think he wins a British title after pretty much the same amount of time. Then we were on a collision course not long after that.

Q: Do you think Lucas needs someone like that (James DeGale) to push him along? 

A: Yeah. A natural rival could be someone like Tino Bellot. They’re both cruiserweight, never boxed each other, but both turned pro at the same time. They haven’t sparred since. So maybe we can get some technical rounds in together. But that hasn’t happened. And I think it’s already there. But we’ve got Pat Brown too. There’s Aloys Junior who’s flying, he’s already up to almost championship distance and has some real good wins on his record. And he’s only 21 years old, so the cruiserweight division is really promising. In a few years time, you’re going to get some real quality actually fighting each other. Because let’s get it straight, before it wasn’t that long ago where there wasn’t an awful lot of quality in the cruiserweight division. There was Enzo Maccarinelli who was a really good fighter. David Haye was a really good fighter and they fought each other and then Haye went up. There’s plenty of cruiserweights coming up though and the future is promising! 

Q: Let’s talk hypothetical bouts now, who would win out of Ricky Hatton and Amir Khan? 

A: Best for best, I can’t see Hatton getting beat. Amir Khan had lightning, fast hands, like ridiculously fast hands. Very fast feet. And when he first burst on the scene at 17, winning the silver at the Olympics, that style of fighting was perfect for the amateur game, whereas point scoring, it was sort of fencing in and out. And to his credit, worked really hard to settle in as a pro and had tremendous success. But Ricky Hatton was like a little pro fighter from the get go. Amazingly brought on, developed and then when he finally broke through beating Kostya Tszyu, he was a real force. He takes a little bit of stick sometimes for the Mayweather fight because he gets beat and he gets stopped, but Ricky Hatton at that point was very difficult to beat. And of course, Mayweather was incredibly difficult to beat. I think if those two fought, I think Hatton would be able to chop him down. Catch him and the vulnerability to Khan would always be a question mark, I’d go with Hatton. I think he could stop him. He’d hurt to the body and then just put his shots together so well, so clever and relentless, like he would press you with his feet, march you down, but great head movement. The odd one would go through, but then once he got into range, he put his shots together really well.

I think he probably would stop Khan. 

Q: How about Duke McKenzie Vs The Monster Naoya Inoue? 

A: I think it’s hard to go against Naoya Inoue. If he hits you, it’s over. Duke Mackenzie went through many World Champions, exceptional fighter. He was a professional a little bit before my time, so lots of the fights that I’ve seen of his have been on reruns. I haven’t seen him in a while. Very clever boxer. At the moment it’s hard to go against Inoue, maybe because of the recency bias. Yes he showed that a bit of vulnerability, but he’s not a Wladimir Klitschko who gets dropped, gets up, but he doesn’t win. Inoue gets up and gets the job done. 

Q: Do you think Manny Pacquiao would have a chance against Inoue?  

A: Lots of the Pacquiao that I watched was when he was a bit bigger at Welterweight. And I just think about the fact that he was fighting like a bantamweight when he was a welterweight and hitting like a cruiserweight, on his day would’ve been a nightmare to box for anyone. It just shows you the class of someone like Juan Marquez to deal with him. But yeah, I’d have to go back and watch. Pacquiao is that freak and he’s coming back isn’t he.  

Q: And finally, what about Anthony Joshua and David Haye? 

A: Haye had fights with Tyson Fury set up time and time again, but they fell through. Haye probably peaked in 2011 when he lost to Klitschko and it was 2012 when Joshua wins at the Olympics. I think Haye is very underrated now and with time, we look past his achievements, to go up from cruiserweight to beat Nikolai Valuev at heavyweight and he never had a long reign. He had a couple of fights. There was John Ruiz, there was Audley Harrison. And then he lost to Klitschko and then after that loss to Klitschko, he fought Derek Chisora and not much else after that. But I was in the gym with Haye. I remember doing a sort of jab spar with Haye and I had a lightning fast jab. I had really good reactions. And I couldn’t land a glove on him. And he could jab, shove my teeth outta my head. And it was the most frustrating thing ever, and heavyweights shouldn’t be able to do that. So I think on his day, he was so fast, so powerful. If he hit you, he could get rid of you.

Same could easily be said with Joshua if he would’ve caught Haye. I think it would be a shootout. I think Haye was a lot better fighter than Anthony Joshua was. Haye was a gifted amateur. He won a silver at the World Championships, always had to work around injuries.

And maybe at times his mindset coming through as a pro, he was very interested in becoming famous and not living the life as such. I think he was an exceptional boxer and it’s a 50-50 fight. What a great fight would’ve been, wouldn’t it? And I’ve seen the spars with him and Deontay Wilder and Wilder is wild and I’ve seen the fights, I’ve seen him spar Carlos Takam and loads of other really good quality heavyweights in his prime and he would handle almost all of them. Such incredible talent. Maybe I’ve seen much more Haye than Joshua. So maybe I’ve got a bit of bias there as well. 

Q: Did you catch any of the boxing over the weekend? Galal Yafai suffered a major setback when losing to Francisco Rodriguez Jr in Birmingham..I think Eddie Hearn was reluctant to let him take the fight as he knew it would be dangerous.

A: Galal is one of our best fighters, certainly. He’s had less than 10 bouts and he’s world champion and Olympic champion and he’s had to travel away from home in a really, really tough fight. So this could have always happened at some point. And he faces someone who might have his number. And that’s why sometimes maybe the Mexicans in particular have an advantage over other fighters around the world at these lighter weights is that they still had bundles and bundles of fights. Like it would be impossible for garia I to have that many fights if he’d only operated in the UK. There’s not enough people. And you’d be treading water not having a fight. He’s progressed, obviously he’s world champion after a handful of fights. And recently against Sonny Edwards, Sonny just wanted to quit, well pretty much did. Galal comes from a very talented family. The three brothers, all good fighters. So I’d like to come back and see him rebuild, and get back to winning ways. 

Q: Tensions were high between Canelo and Terence Crawford in their press conference. Crawford said he doesn’t need a warm up fight at the weight…

A:  I don’t think a warmup fight at the weight would be the right thing for Crawford right now. Because he’s such an experienced fighter. Sometimes you just need a fight. You need to be under the lights. You have to go through the process of the changing rooms, the ring walk and everything else. Sometimes you can see fighters are a bit rusty, aren’t they? And the ring rust, whether that exists or not, but some things are at play there. I don’t think he does need one.I think if anything, it might even work against him if he’s in there with a bigger guy. He was in there with Israil Madrimov wasn’t he, a bigger guy, not as big as Canelo, but a bigger guy. He would’ve felt the difference in fighting a bigger chap. And having to adjust to it. It’s gonna be all new kettle fish when he moves up to fight Canelo. Who exactly is a warm up fight for Canelo? 

And there’s weight divisions for a reason, the punch power and the punch resistance just aren’t the same as you go through the divisions. So it’ll be fascinating just to see when that first bell goes, if Crawford comes out and lands a really good shot and it just bounces off Canelo. And Canelo went up to light heavyweight and fought Dmitry Bivol and it felt like the shots were just bouncing off Bivol, no fuss at all. Whereas other guys, when Canelo breaks him down, if he can’t just wipe them out, he breaks them down.

Q: Do you think this is one of the biggest fights in recent years? Where would you rank it? 

A:  I’m not sure because obviously it’s Crawford, is he pound for pound number one? He’s got to be in many people’s eyes there or thereabouts. Canelo’s been at the top for so long and hasn’t done anything wrong. He’s still saying that he can pick someone else to go in front of him. So it is pound for pound, vs pound for pound. But I feel like the weight, because the weight’s so different, I was more excited I think with  GGG vs Canelo than I was this one. But that’s just because I thought that was an incredible fight. Then obviously we’ve had Oleksandr Usyk vs Fury, maybe it is though.

Q: Will they have trouble hyping up the fight?

A: I don’t think you always need to necessarily portray that you hate each other, for it to be a good fight. But you have to portray that, Ah, this means the world to me. And you are in my way. I’m gonna steamroll you. 

(Canello looks laid back these days)

A: He has been because he feels they’re not challenges. He likely would be more nervous in this fight than maybe a Bivol fight because he never thinks it’s okay to lose, but it’s not okay to lose to Crawford. Not when he’s so much smaller.

Q: Oleksandr Usyk has parted ways with his promoter Alex Krassyuk after 12 successful years together…Could this play a part in the Ukrainian’s bid to beat Daniel Dubois next month? 

A: Yeah, I saw that. Obviously Lomachenko has retired very recently. And Krassyuk has parted ways with Usyk. I think, where’s that come from? They parted ways amicably online. You know, from the statements that were made online, but does he think Usyk should just call it a day now? Pack it in, you’ve climbed Everest.

Is it down to money? Nine times outta ten when people part ways at the end it’s down to money. Is it down to circumstances in their country or family or does he just not wanna do it anymore? I don’t know. But if I’m Daniel Dubois, I’m buzzing about that. That’s a massive change. At best there’s a rift, there’s a problem, there’s stress. And if it’s the end, it’s all coming to the end now, at some point someone’s gonna get Usyk. If he carries on boxing, someone will get him. And maybe it’ll be Dan Dubois. He has a lot more chance than the first time they boxed. When the fight got made, I was thinking. Daniel Dubois is in good form, he’s feeling good. The link up with Don Charles has been incredible. Don Charles has just nurtured the best out of Daniel Dubois, got the best out him. And then I saw Usyk at the press conference and he was his same old self. He’s come out, he’s making jokes and they all seem very much about business. So I was thinking, all right, well, he doesn’t seem like he just can’t be bothered to retire, or he’s got a massive tax bill that he hasn’t budgeted for.I think he just, he still wants the box. Still thinks, I’m, I’m feeling good, I’m winning. 

You can see how to be Usyk. It’s just, can you do it? And if you are a big guy like Dan Dubois and you’re gonna start quick, he’s gotta be on it. Switched on like he was against Joshua. He’s gonna have to start quick. And the ifs or maybes is if he can land on Usykin those first few rounds, he’s in with a chance. And if he can land on him, can he sustain that attack and capitalize?. Usyk always takes a few rounds to settle in. And then he does have that incredible ability to get better after every interval.

That’s what boxing has. You have three minutes, then you get a rest and it’s like a clean break. You could be in a world of trouble. And then you go back, you get a minute refresh, boom, you come out and it could be a new fight. So Usyk, even when he has a bad round, he usually comes out and has a spectacular round next. He just keeps adding throughout a fight. But it takes time for him to get to that stage. And that’s how he beat Dubois the first time, in the end Dubois ran out steam and got stopped with a jab. Might happen again that way or maybe Dubois catches him, can hurt him to the body. He can definitely hurt Usyk to the body. Easier said than done though.

Q: Derek Chisora claims he was offered £2million to fight Moses Itauma but he turned it down, what do you make of that?

A: Derek has his 50th fight and he would definitely want to win it. Moses Ituama is flying. Is that a good fight for Chisora? It’s not. That’s why he’s been offered so much money for it. But hopefully Derek’s got plenty of money and he says he’s not in it for the money anymore. He’s in it for the feeling of the ring walk. You can see the people who are looking after Itauma are like, right, Derek Chisora, he’s been a great character for boxing. He’s got great support now. Loads of fans. And we can actually go and box and if Itauma says the right things after, we’ll piggyback and nick loads of Chisora fans. And Chisora will do the same. Chisora will big up this guy and tell everyone he’s the next coming.

I think it was wise. I always, as a fighter, I like hearing when people have turned down the money because it wasn’t the right reasons. It wasn’t a fight for them. The first thing you hear is a fighter. You hear about someone, you go how much? How much? And then until you hear the number you want to hear, alright then let’s do it. And then when you go, let’s do it, then you have to go to work. And then all of a sudden you’re like the money bar is up there, but then when you gotta do this, you’re like, oh, that money bar. Is that money bar worth it?  And then at one point you’re like, Ah, it’s not worth it anymore. 

Q: Dillian Whyte presumably heard the number that he thought makes it worth it because he is fighting Moses

A: He’s in it for paydays. He doesn’t have the credibility or the profile of Derek Chisora. His options ain’t the same. 

Q: He’s still looking for another fight with Anthony Joshua, isn’t he?

A: I think it’s a bit more to that because they were scheduled to fight again, weren’t they? Then Whyte tested positive for drugs. And Joshua isn’t a fan of that. Because you know when Big Baby Miller did that to him, he had Ruiz step in and he came unstuck. So Joshua doesn’t like last minute replacements. And he definitely doesn’t like drugs in the sport. 

Q: There’s rumors flying around that Dave Allen could fight Joe Parker, but Eddie Hearn wants Dave Allen to fight Jeamie TKV for the British heavyweight title.

A: They’re very different fights, aren’t they? Joseph Parker, one of the best heavyweights in the world right now. Dave Allen, really good win against Johnny Fisher, but does that mean you are ready for a Joseph Parker or maybe in this world of boxing with these heavyweights right now where, as I say, if you’re in form, you are in the picture. I didn’t realise that Dave Allen hadn’t won many belts or any belts. Last time he fought, he won a belt. And if he has the opportunity to win a British title against Jeamie TKV, a fight that he’d probably be really confident in. That’s not a bad shout. So you win that, the Parker fight’s there after. I think that’s not a bad shout from Eddie Hern. 

Q: Eubank Jr is back in the gym. It seems that the rematch with Conor Benn could be on the cards after all? Eddie Hearn says the contracts are signed! Sept 20 or OCT 4.

A: Yeah, it’s gonna happen apparently. As I said earlier, I like fighters who don’t just think about the money. Let’s equate all decisions and money ain’t number one on the list. But that’s not the case for Chris Eubank. And to his credit, if you are gonna linger in boxing as long as he has, you know, after getting beat by me and sort of not really going anywhere. He’s had COVID and he had a win or loss and loads of delays through Connor Benn’s situations. 

But he had that big win. As I said before, they’re gonna run it back…they completed the movie! We saw it all. There’s nothing else to see. They left it all in the ring. Connor wants to avenge his loss. But in terms of this,  it’s a fight for a fight’s sake. And it was entertainment more than sports. I can’t see any real new angles. I might be totally wrong in terms of the storyline that will be created. If they just want to see a punch up, see a fight, then they will, won’t they?

And maybe Conor Benn nicks the next one and maybe they do it a third time just for the sake of it. But then if they’re gonna ask me, is that gonna make you on your top Trilogy rivalries ever?  I’d be like, I dunno, I don’t get it. I don’t get it. Now there’s no more sport, like there’s no more boxing where you turn professional and then it’s like, what is my route to becoming the number one division? Rather than turn professional, what’s my route to get into an entertainment fight? Not a real sports fight, ’cause that’s what that is. It’s just an entertainment fight. 

But as I say, don’t begrudge anyone making money in the sport. Make money. If Eubank edges through this, 50-50 fight again, and then fights at Canelo or something, then good for him, he stayed in the sport. He lingered there long enough. He’s getting his paydays now.

Q: If Tyson Fury walked in the gym now and we had five minutes to convince him to un-retire himself, and come back to boxing, how would he get him back to boxing?

A: I don’t think you need to convince him. I think it’s done. He’s fighting Joshua. He’s gonna take his time right now, switch off from boxing for a bit. I’m almost certain that the fight is either signed, sealed, delivered and just not announced, or well on its way to being done. Joshua wouldn’t have a warmup fight. Those ships have sailed. They’ll just fight each other.

They’re both coming off losses, so neither of ’em are in particularly good form. Fury’s probably been in worse form than Joshua. Joshua got beat by Dubois. Up till then he was doing okay. Knocked out cage fighter. Fury had life and death with a cage fighter. So yeah, it’s two heavyweights and they are former World Champions, they want to roll around, have a little fight. Let them fight in a cage!

Q: Jake Paul and Chavez Jr. are fighting this weekend, not one for the purists, but one that you’ll be watching?

A: Yeah, if I’m awake. It’s on Netflix, isn’t it? And we don’t have to pay for it by all accounts. So good for Netflix for not, I don’t think I’ve ever done a PPV type event, I might be wrong, but they’re the only streaming site that hasn’t gone down that road that we always get promised. Just subscribe now and your pay-per-views are over. But we know that’s not the truth in boxing. You subscribe and then you get told, oh, well this one’s even better, you gotta pay for it. I don’t mind, as a fighter, you know, it keeps the general public fully aware that if anything’s deemed good, you gotta pay a little bit more. 

Chavez. I looked up Chavez again ’cause I remember Chavez before I’d even boxed for a world title Chavez was on everyone’s radar. Because you’re like, oh, that’s an easy fight for a big name. He’s the son of a legend. Doesn’t take his boxing that seriously. What’s my chance to get him? Froch, before he boxed me, he was talking about how he wanted to go to America and fight Chavez. We’re going back 12 years ago, maybe more than that since Chavez has been at his best.

I’m not American. I’m certainly not Mexican. So I dunno how big of a name Chavez is out there. It just leads me down that road of thinking, is Jake Paul still trying to convince people that he’s a legitimate boxer? You’re not! He’s not a legitimate boxer. You picked someone who was a professional boxer whose dad was a legend of professional boxing. I’m not sure how big he is on the celebrity scene Chavez, how much of a famous name he is, because otherwise why have you picked him? He might as well pick someone from Love Island or something.

Q: I guess you’re right though. It’s the name. The name means a lot in boxing terms? 

A: Yeah, but it’s the name, cause you’re trying to convince people that you are a legitimate professional boxer, but you’re not, you’re fighting someone who was a decent pro 15 years ago. 

Q: So if he loses, then is that the end of Jake Paul?

A: Nah, it’s never the end for Jake Paul, he probably wont lose either. They’ll probably do an exhibition, they’ll probably do two minute rounds and 16 ounce clubs. 

Q: Have you heard of the enhanced games where juicing is allowed? It’s set for next year, May 21st to May 24th in Vegas. Where does it leave the psychology of sport?

A: I mean is that the end of legitimate sport? Maybe it’s a good thing, maybe not. You people are always gonna push the, push the extremities, and then you gotta know that like anabolic stuff ain’t really good for you long term. But there’s obviously sports where, if they’re sports or not the way they do it, whether it be bodybuilding or strong man, power lifting. So yeah, I mean, it would be fascinating. I’ve seen standup comedians talking about how they wanna see someone run a hundred meters in 4.9 seconds. It would be incredible to see. But maybe they have the enhanced games and maybe they’re not that much quicker and maybe you’re like, oh, so does it work? 

Q: In boxing, unfortunately it’s still a major issue. You know we’ve seen Jaime Mungia recently test positive for PEDs after defeating Bruno Surace. So still people are getting popped and Jamel Charlo said it’s rampant in boxing at the moment. Do you think it’s worse now than it’s ever been? Or do you think the testing is better?

A: Maybe. It’s like I keep getting speed tickets and it’s not, that I’m speeding more. It’s just actually there’s more cameras. The cameras just find you, cycling Mikey coming around, catching you on your phone. Sitting there in stationary traffic, It’s got to be on the mount. And that’s the same rule for drug testing is, if it’s on the mount. It’s fine. Maybe the thing is, for boxing fans at home, this isn’t an open topic being spoken about in gyms. Like, you don’t say, ‘oh how you doing man? Are you boxing really well? What are you cycling, what are you juicing, what are you taking?’ I haven’t met anyone who’s openly said, ‘yeah this is what I’m doing.’ You wouldn’t, because you’re not allowed. So how can you be rampant in sport? Like unless you just keep it quiet from me. Maybe they do, maybe they should. Maybe I’ll get a podcast. I’ll tell everyone. I’ll talk about all their gossip. 

But yeah, you can see and imagine how a lot of fighters are sort of tempted, and especially in America, I think you’ve seen the attitude that they truly believe that everyone else is juicing and everyone else is cheating. So if I’m not, as well, in America there’s a lot more college sports, there’s more organization, there’s more crossover of sports. And these coaches, or these doctors or these physios, I feel like maybe it’s a little bit easier in the states than it is over here. There’s no one in our gym wandering around with a goodie bag or anything. How can it be rampant? 

And the people who get tested, people who test positive, you think, what, what on earth was you thinking? Like, they’re gonna come and test you, and they’re gonna find it, so don’t do it. Like that was always my biggest fear in boxing was taking paracetamol. But actually I didn’t realize paracetamol was bad. So I took no pills, took nothing. Whatever the physio gave you, Like if he gave you an anti-inflammatory, I’d be writing it down in the box you go and you can check it online. Make sure that it’s safe, cause obviously within reason there is stuff you can take. Yeah. If you’re buying dodgy protein powder off the back of someone’s lorry and you test positive?

Q: Boxxer Ben Shalom, they were handed a five year contract worth a hundred million pounds by Sky. It hasn’t been renewed, obviously disappointing for them, but I guess it just goes to show that Sky Sports weren’t impressed with the product that they delivered?

A: I think this is big news. And I think no one would admit it, but I think Sky pulling out boxing, like Sky, doesn’t want to do boxing anymore. I’ve never been a Sky employee, but I know the guys at Sky, I do a lot of their shows. I think they’ve been the number one for boxing for a long time now. And Ben Shalom had some good shows and they got some, they got a good stable of fighters. Ben Whitaker, very talented fighter, massive profile. But, I think they’re going to do what they’re doing as an organization now, you can get your Amazon prime your Netflix off the Sky box. Sooner or later the DAZN will be the sports channel. Sky Sport is a massive headache, it always had to be what it was to bring in the money. But football got so expensive.

Q: Maybe they’re just plowing that money into football instead. Because that’s where the viewers are?

A: But I think percentage wise, football is billions and boxing made money because you’d have a pay-per-view event twice a year, maybe three times a year. And that paid for the rest of the shows. Now with the Riyadh season, they create the shows, they just deliver Sky the content, Sky put it on their Pay-Per-View platform. I think they still do 90% of the buys? So they’ll probably think, ah well, we’ll just do the pay-per-view and we’ll bring DAZN in now, DAZN’s a lot more prominent now on the homepage, DAZN has done a deal with Channel 5 I saw the other day they showing the football, had DAZN plastered all over it. I think there’s talk that they’ll stay in boxing and they’ll have ad hoc shows. The truth of the matter is it won’t really work. 

They would love to be able to just pluck out decent shows. You know, even a lot of small hall shows are really good quality boxing, the production is not as good, but then Sky brings the production and elite level boxing ain’t always what people desire. You can get 50-50 fights Chris Eubank versus Conor Benn right, it’s not elite boxing. Eubanks way past his best. And they got him shrunk down to a weight he can’t make properly and Conor Benn never got to the top level, and to have a good old scrap everyone’s Happy. Fight of the year, biggest event of the year. That’s what it is now. I think Sky will essentially put no resources behind boxing, they’re not gonna put on any of their own shows. They’ll be looking, they’ll pick up the American shows.

Some of which will be matchroom, may soon be Queensbury obviously top rank, these shows are easy to pick up, but maybe they’ll try and everyone will be funneled through DAZN and DAZN will be shown on Sky and that’s that. And I think, I’m not sure if that’s good for boxing to be honest. You definitely want competition. We want them to fight each other. But I boxed on every channel throughout my career, but the ones that were the most memorable were on Sky.

For the fans because they see it.

Q: A lot of people kind of sneered at DAZN when it came through, boxing on an app, like Frank Warren famously said, but now look everyone’s coming on side and they’re changing the game?

A: If it ends up on your tv, right, that’s it. Because I think they got the youth wrong. They think we’ve got to get down with the kids. We’ve gotta understand what they’re after and they want  TikToks. You can’t put boxing on TikTok. You can’t, you can’t have an elite fight and be only 12 seconds long. So we need more than that, it’s got to be built for a TV so you can sit down and all watch it together. Not watching a smart device, that’s how sport works in general. It’s good for your highlights. If you want to catch up, who won the fight last night or if you just wanna look at the knockouts, then that’s that.

Q: Well that’s the problem with the TikTok generation, isn’t it? They don’t wanna sit down and watch a 90 minute football match or 12 three minute rounds of boxing. They just need instant gratification. So how do you find that? 

A: Yeah I think if you said to anyone, you say, “you watching the big fight this weekend?” They’ll go, where’s it on, Sky? No one’s saying yet, what on DAZN? But if you were to watch it on Sky and it’s on Sky, but it’s on DAZN, then it will only take a couple of years when people are now, it’s DAZN. You watch this new series, what’s it on Netflix? Is it on Paramount? Is it on Disney? That’s ultimately where sports are going now. It would be sad if Sky don’t throw everything behind it the way they do, because I think they’ve got a lot of wisdom. They’ve got a lot of knowledge and if they’ve managed to keep them people over the years, there’s something about the way we live in nostalgia now, like maybe that’s just me get into my late thirties where I, like, I reminisce about, oh, I like the way they used to do that. I can’t be bothered to learn anything new. I used to like to build up, but some stuff gets done to death. The gloves are off is like X factor, isn’t it. We don’t need to watch the same thing over and over again. Someone’s gonna sing good, someone’s gonna look like they can’t sing, and then they can, and this one’s gonna be crap and then Simon Cowell’s going to be mean about them. It runs its course.

There’s a lot of boxing out there at the moment, let’s see if the talent can get brought through. Let’s be honest, when Joshua won the Olympics and you listened to how it was amazing for boxing. It was amazing for Anthony Joshua. It was amazing for Eddie Hearn. It was amazing for a handful of others, and it was terrible for everyone else. No talent came through. If he wasn’t a heavyweight, we wasn’t interested.

Joshua sold out this stadium, this stadium, this stadium. No one else sold out any stadiums. In the meantime. There wasn’t even room for Tyson Fury. And I was like, where’s the next generation? They pinned all their hopes on Josh Kelly, Joshua Buatsi, Lawrence Okolie, Okolie won a world title but he only fought in the stadium when he fought Chris Bilam-Smith as the away fighter. Bazzi never got there. Josh Kelly’s still light years off getting there. They never brought anyone through, fighters obviously got through, but none of them are big household names. After Joshua your biggest name is probably Conor Benn and it’s because he’s got a famous name.

It was all heavyweight dominant. They never brought anyone else through. You could be a mediocre heavyweight and you would get for example, I’m not saying he’s mediocre, but Dillian Whyte was the A side of Pay-Per-View fights for probably a couple of years. Never fought for World Title up until that point and then when he finally did, it was Fury for his first one, and he got stopped. Derek Chisora is just fan friendly, you can always have a fan friendly heavyweight on the card. It’s good and then if you have them near the main event, job done.

The post George Groves: Dubois can HURT Usyk in Rematch appeared first on CasinoBeats.

Such is life for a baseball player, and Mauer said he gained mental toughness during his career that he can now transfer to other areas of life in retirement.

Mauer will lean into that next month when he participates in the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, Nevada next month.

“You fail seven times out of 10 as a hitter, and you’re considered a really good hitter,” Mauer said in an exclusive interview with Casino Beats. “You can’t do that in any other sport, or at least that I know of, but I think it transitions well because of that. 

“You’ve got to be mentally tough and mentally strong to keep working, and to keep the processes, to hopefully get better results. So, yeah, sometimes I tell people, ‘Maybe I’m just a glutton for punishment, liking both sports so much because there’s so much failure in it.’”

While he continues to work on his golf game, Mauer still keeps a close eye on the Minnesota Twins.

The Hall of Fame catcher believes the Twins have a “ceiling” as “high” as any team in Major League Baseball.

The Twins are having a surprisingly solid start to the season, going 36-31 through their first 67 games and would make it into the playoffs as a wild card if the playoffs started today. Their plus-25 run differential is actually the fourth-best mark in the American League. Entering the season, many observers had Minnesota pegged as the fourth-best team in the AL Central.

Instead, the Twins have surpassed expectations thus far.

“I think their ceilings is as high as anybody’s,” Mauer said. “They got a good group of guys and got a lot of experience last couple of years with being in the postseason and getting a taste of that. Right now, they’re kind of dealing with that injury bug with Pablo (Lopez) going down for a little while doesn’t help. But that just creates more opportunities for others to step up.”

Mauer: I Like The Twins’ Vibe This Year

Pablo Lopez recently suffered a Grade 2 muscle strain and is expected to miss a minimum of two months. The former All-Star pitcher was off to a strong start this season with a 2.82 ERA to go along with a 5-3 record while posting nine strikeouts per nine innings, the second-highest mark of any Twins starting pitcher.

Despite the injury to their All-Star pitcher, Mauer is still high on the Twins and believes they can weather the storm. It’s worth noting Minnesota missed the playoffs by only four games last season and have made it to the playoffs in three of Rocco Baldelli’s six years as manager.

“I feel like they got a good vibe, a good group of guys in that clubhouse that can kind of weather the storm until some of those big boys get back healthy,” says Mauer. “I think there’s a lot of games to be played left, so a lot can happen this summer. I like the team, I like the vibe that they have. I was down there at Spring Training for a couple days, and hopefully the boys can get it rolling again and going in the right direction.”

The Twins have generally been a winning team under Baldelli, posting winning records in four of his six seasons as manager. They were on their way to another playoff appearance last season after starting out the year 70-53. However, they faltered down the stretch with a 12-27 record.

Mauer: Rocco Baldelli Has Right Balance Of Analytics, Game Knowledge

Minnesota will look to avoid that same type of slide this season. Mauer — who matched up frequently against Baldelli during their playing careers — speaks very highly of the 43-year-old manager, saying he’s very “knowledgeable.”

“Rocco’s very knowledgeable, he’s embraced the analytic side of it, but also has the experience to go along with it as well,” says Mauer. “I think he’s got a good demeanor. I think the guys respect him. Those are all good things that you play in to being a good manager. I hope he can get those guys going here and they have an exciting summer for the fans here in Minnesota.”

The 42-year-old Mauer is arguably the greatest hitting catcher of all time. The Minnesota native played his entire career with the Twins (2004-2018) and made his mark almost immediately. At 23 years old, Mauer led the majors after posting a .347 batting average, becoming the first American League catcher to lead the league in the category and the first catcher since 1942 to do so. Mauer led the league in batting average three times, with one of those seasons resulting in an MVP in 2009.

“It was really special,” says Mauer of playing his entire career in Minnesota. “Growing up here at Saint Paul, just having dreams and aspirations to play at the highest level in the big leagues. When it came to being entered into the draft, my hometown team had the first pick. To be picked by your hometown team, and to wear one uniform was very meaningful to me.”

The Saint Paul native says his grandparents were basically at every one of his games during his MLB career. He says he was “thankful” to have that support throughout his entire career

“I had my grandparents, my parents at every home game,” says Mauer. “Over my 15 years, I think my grandparents missed maybe two or three ball games — 81 a year — that’s a lot of ball games to be there. To have that support, family and friends and to be able to put on the Minnesota Twins jersey, I never took it for granted. So was thankful that it all played out that way.”

Mauer was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame during his first year of eligibility in 2024. He is still the most recent catcher to win the AL MVP and one of two catchers this century to win an MVP.

“It just happened so fast,” says Mauer of his career. “Fifteen years in the big leagues and 17 years overall of pro baseball. It seems like it went by really quick. But I put everything that I could into it and really the ride. We had some really good teams here in Minnesota, just came up a little short, with the ultimate goal winning the World Series. Built some really good relationships and met a lot of great people and really enjoyed my time with the Twins.”

Mauer will join multiple other baseball greats such as John Smoltz, Mark Mulder and Derek Lowe to participate along with 90-plus other celebrities and athletes in the American Century Championship.

The most prestigious celebrity golf tournament will feature a $150,000 first-place prize and $750,000 in total purse. Mauer says this will be the sixth American Century Championship for him and his best finish was within the top 20 last year.

He’ll be looking to improve upon that finish this time around.

“I gotta put in some work here this month leading up to it,” says Mauer while laughing. “The game is not in great shape. But that’s what’s fun about golf. You never can perfect it, but you sure can try. I’ll be out there. They’re rolling some putts and then working on my short game here and trying to get it ready for mid July.”

The post Joe Mauer Exclusive: MLB Hall of Famer Talks Mental Toughness, Minnesota Twins appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The 23-year-old burst onto the scene as the AL Rookie of the Year in 2023, leading the Baltimore Orioles to 101 wins and a division title. He followed that up his first All-Star bid in 2024 while leading the Orioles back into the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

However, the 2025 season has been the exact opposite for the team, with Baltimore only recently snapping an eight-game losing streak. They’re off to a 16-32 start, the worst mark in the AL East and the second-worst mark in the American League. 

The team recently fired Brandon Hyde, who helped turn the franchise around while winning AL Manager of the Year honors in 2023.

“He showed me the ropes from day one as a rookie,” says Henderson of Hyde’s influence on him in an exclusive interview with Casino Beats. “He gave me insights on the game and what to expect and how to approach it.”

The star shortstop himself is having a bit of a difficult season after turning in one of the biggest batting seasons by a shortstop in MLB history. Henderson set an Orioles franchise record with 37 home runs for a shortstop. It was also the 17th-most home runs by a shortstop in a single season in MLB history.

After turning in a .281/.364/.529 season last year, Henderson is at .257/.307/.455 so far this year.

“It’s definitely a learning experience, because I’ve never had something quite like this,” says Henderson. “I know it’ll ultimately help down the road. Hopefully (I’ll) get this thing turned around and have a great rest of the season.”

Henderson is currently part of a shortstop revolution of sorts with himself, the Kansas City Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. and the Cincinnati Reds’ Elly De La Cruz all emerging as top players in the major leagues at the position.

While Henderson obviously demonstrates a lot of power, he says he didn’t model his game after any single player or shortstop. However, he did look up to guys like Chipper Jones and Corey Seager.

“I wouldn’t say model my game after, but I was always in some comparisons to Corey Seager growing up, and then I really like Chipper Jones as well,” says Henderson. “I know he’s played third base the majority of time in his career. Those are two guys that I enjoyed watching.”

Henderson says he wants to be more “consistent” in all facets of the game. He particularly points at continuing to develop “defensively.” Henderson converts some highlight-worthy plays at the position, but he’s not considered a Gold Glove talent at the position yet such as Witt Jr.

“Biggest thing for me is continuing to develop defensively,” says Henderson. “Feel like there’s a lot of room to grow, and then just staying consistent at the plate. I feel like that’s the biggest thing for me is just control the zone, get the pitch I want to hit, and then just get my swing off. I feel like doing that day in and day out, it will help me a lot.”

While the Orioles’ playoff hopes look bleak right now — they’re 13.5 games behind the New York Yankees for the AL East lead and 10.5 games behind for the last Wild Card spot — there’s still four months left in the season. That gives hope to Henderson, who says the objective is to still make it to the playoffs.

“You definitely have to find ways to do that,” says Henderson of pumping yourself up every game during a 162-game season. “Especially on some of the day games on the back half of the season, it gets to be a grind at that time, but that’s when you enjoy being around the guys that you have in the clubhouse. They make life a lot easier whenever you’re enjoying being around them.”

Henderson: I’m Not Superstitious, Will Switch Things Up

Henderson says that he’s not “superstitious” and doesn’t have a set routine like some players. He adapts to whatever works best.

“I try not to be,” says Henderson when it comes to superstitions and a set routine. “I try to just go with how my body’s feeling, so I don’t get the same exact movements each and every day. Whenever I get loose and get stretched out in the weight room and stuff. I feel like the biggest thing for me is just taking care of what I feel like my body needs, and then ultimately, hitting-wise, just try to keep to a good routine. 

“If I feel like I need to switch something up to it, then I switch it up,” Henderson continues to say. “Just try to go out there and let my body tell me what it needs and kind of adapt to that.”

The former AL Rookie of the Year says the biggest challenge of a 162-game season is the “longevity” of it.

“The longevity of it — that is a very long season,” says Henderson. “That’s the biggest thing is being able to take care of your body, to be ready to go on each and every day. I feel like that’s the best ability is availability. I know that’s said a lot, but it rings true, especially in a 162-game season.”

We’ll see if Henderson and the Orioles can turn things around as they aim for their third consecutive playoff season. 

The post Gunnar Henderson Exclusive: Orioles Star Talks Game-Day Superstition, Early-Season Woes appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The Cowboys obviously will usher in a new era in 2025 with former offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer taking over the head coaching position. They’ll be looking to bounce back from a disappointing 7-10 campaign, their first losing and non-playoff season since 2020.

However, the first order of business is ensuring that they lock in their star defensive player to a long-term deal. Parsons is on the verge of entering the fifth and final year of his rookie deal and there is no definitive timeline regarding a new contract. 

The 25-year-old linebacker has been a participant at the start of the Cowboys’ OTAs.

Ware is confident that Jerry Jones and his former franchise will get that deal done.

“I think they’ll get it sorted out pretty quick,” Ware told CasinoBeats in an exclusive interview. “When I went to Tyron Smith’s retirement deal, it was me and Micah Parsons. There we were talking, he was feeling really good. I see smiles from Jerry. Micah is like, ‘I’m ready for the season, DeMarcus. We still need to work on some pass rush stuff. How do we dial in even more?'”

The former nine-time Pro Bowler and Pro Football Hall of Fame member isn’t “worried” at all about Parsons’ deal with the Cowboys and believes that Jones will “expedite” and get a contract done with the best young pass rusher in the NFL.

“When Jerry saw both of us together talking and how focused Micah was, he was like, ‘Okay, maybe I need to expedite this thing a little bit and get him where he needs to be,’” Ware said. “I think it’ll be soon. I’m not worried about that.”

Parsons has made sure to keep any holdout and contract controversy to a minimum. The fifth year of his rookie deal will pay him $24 million. According to Spotrac, his market value is $36.3 million per year for a total of over $145 million across four seasons. That would make him the third highest-paid non quarterback on an annual basis.

Considering the Cowboys have a history of locking in their franchise players to long-term deals — Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb before last season, for example — one should probably expect Parsons to get the same treatment.

Ware: Early Wins Can Quiet Schottenheimer Concerns

While the Parsons contract is the Cowboys’ biggest concern as they enter the 2025 season, they’ll look to turn things around under Schottenheimer as their new head coach. The 51-year-old takes over Dallas’ sidelines after spending the past two seasons as the offensive coordinator and the 2022 season as a coaching analyst.

Ware isn’t surprised at all over the Schottenheimer hiring, saying “hiring from within” is something that Jones is “comfortable” with.

“Hiring from within, it was comfortable,” says Ware of the Schottenheimer hiring. “It’s something that Jerry’s used to doing. He brought up his supporting cast to be able to support what’s going on now. We just got to solidify Micah and a couple other guys to make sure that they’re ready for this year.”

The 42-year-old Cowboys great hammers home that he wants to see some wins from Dallas. That’s how Schottenheimer will win over the fans and ease any criticism from the outside.

“I just want to see some Ws,” says Ware. “I have to start seeing those wins come up. The head coach is the highest-pressured position with the Dallas Cowboys. The way you do everything is you start getting wins at the beginning of the season and everything will be okay.”

The post DeMarcus Ware Exclusive: Micah Parsons Extension Should Be Coming Soon appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The 21-year-old quarterback and first-team All-SEC selection is considered by some to be the third-best quarterback in the draft and could possibly be selected in the first round. Dart threw 29 touchdown passes for nearly 4,300 yards during the 2024 season.

Orlovsky — a former 12-year NFL veteran at quarterback himself — says that Dart reminds him of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.

“The guy that I’ve comped him a little bit too has been Jalen Hurts,” Orlovsky told Casino Beats in an exclusive interview while discussing the NFL x AWS Draft IQ platform. “He’s gotten better as a passer throughout his collegiate career. As a runner, he’s just a bull, he’s a tough dude to bring down when he runs. While Jalen Hurts isn’t this ridiculous vertical athlete, it’s just a tough tackle and kind of a boxer frame that’s a little bit like Jaxson Dart.”

Dart is 6-foot-2 and 223 pounds, which is almost an exact replica of Hurts’ frame at 6-foot-1 and 223 pounds. The Ole Miss alum isn’t as reliant on the run game as Hurts is, but he can run the ball and he does it often, carrying the ball 124 times for 495 yards during his senior season.

However, Dart is considered a clear tier below the likes of the top two quarterback prospects, Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders. Ward will likely go No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans, while Sanders is more of a guessing game. Sanders could very well go No. 2 or No. 3 to the Cleveland Browns or New York Giants, but he could also slip in the draft.

Despite Sanders’ wide draft projection, Orlovsky says he would be “surprised” if Dart went before the Colorado Buffaloes alum. However, he says anything can happen in the NFL draft and mentions that he does see both Dart and Sanders fitting with the Pittsburgh Steelers, while giving Dart a slight edge when it comes to stylistic fit.

“I still would be surprised by that,” says Orlovsky of Dart going before Sanders. “I’ve been higher on Dart than other people, and physically talented Jalen (Milroe) as well. I still would be surprised if the three in total (Ward, Dart and Milroe) went before Shedeur or I still would be surprised by that. But it’s the NFL, being shocked is something that never happens with me.”

Orlovsky: Dart ‘An Impressive Physical Talent’

One of the hang-ups that Orlovsky has about Dart is his “lazy feet.” He explains why this is an issue, but says this flaw can be fixed once he gets to the NFL.

“The big issue that I have with his game is he’s lazy with his feet,” says Orlovsky. That’s something that shows on tape. When you’re lazy with your feet, you’re lazy with a lot, you just are. You’re lazy with your eyes, you’re lazy with your mind, you’re lazy with your decision making. That’s something you could coach out of him, absolutely.”

One of the players that Orlovsky also compares Dart to is former New England Patriots first-round pick Drake Maye. The comparison comes about in that both players are talented but also struggled with lazy mechanics. Maye did well last season in his rookie year despite playing for a 4-13 team, notching a Pro Bowl bid while throwing for 15 touchdowns to go along with 421 rushing yards.

Orlovsky continues to rave over Dart’s arm strength, which is something he does not see in Sanders, comparing him more to Brock Purdy and Tua Tagovailoa in being an accurate, short-passing game quarterback.

“I felt that way about Drake Maye last year,” says Orlovsky of his lazy feet. “He’s an impressive physical talent. He throws the ball downfield. The contrast is, I’ve mentioned Shedeur threw so much at or behind the line of scrimmage. They didn’t do that a lot at Ole Miss. Ole Miss was chuck and duck, throwing it down the field as much as possible, high risk and high reward. Stylistically, there’s a little bit of Jalen (Hurts) to his game.”

Orlovsky Predicts Ashton Jeanty to Chicago Bears

Another intriguing prospect entering the draft is none other than Ashton Jeanty. The top-ranked running back prospect and Heisman Trophy runner-up is expected to be a top 10 pick, but the question is where? 

When asked about where he sees Jeanty landing, Orlovsky dismisses the Jacksonville Jaguars (Jeanty’s hometown) because they already have two running backs in Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby. He also passes on the idea of the Las Vegas Raiders due to their woeful offensive line.

“I really like Jeanty,” says Orlovsky. “Everyone’s attaching him to the Raiders. I just don’t see the Raiders because their offensive line isn’t good. They had the worst rush yards per game in the last 30 years in the NFL, bottom 10 run game, offensive line, protection wise, and blocking wise.”

Orlovsky uses the NFL x AWS Draft IQ platform — which helps predict NFL draft picks based upon team needs and their prospect evaluation tendencies — to determine that he sees Jeanty landing with the Chicago Bears at No. 10.

“I think the best place for him would probably be Chicago,” says Orlovsky of Jeanty landing with the Bears. “Ben Johnson comes from Detroit, dynamic run game, get him downhill under center and I also think drafting him without the proper offensive line, you’re wasting the pick.”

The post Dan Orlovsky Exclusive: Jaxson Dart Reminds Me Of Jalen Hurts appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The Buccaneers have been a solid team since Todd Bowles took over as head coach prior to the 2022 season, winning three division titles since he took over. However, they’ve gone 1-3 in the playoffs and proven to be more of a second-tier NFC team rather than an elite one.

With that being said, they have defeated elite NFC teams in recent seasons such as the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles. However, they have yet to advance past the divisional round and lost a home playoff game against the Wild Card Washington Commanders this past season.

As the Buccaneers enter the 2025 NFL Draft with the 19th overall pick in the draft, it’s obvious to Barber that they need to add an edge rusher or a cornerback.

“My guess would be if there’s a corner there that they love, they’ll take him,” Barber told Casino Beats in an exclusive interview. “If there’s an edge guy there, they’ll take him. I wouldn’t even be surprised if they took a wide receiver there. The Bucs have done a good job the past five or six years, maybe even longer than that since Jason Licht’s been here drafting guys.”

Barber: Bucs ‘Don’t Need To Change Anything On Offense’

The Buccaneers clearly have the talent on the offensive side of the ball with Baker Mayfield establishing himself as an elite quarterback in the NFL since joining Tampa Bay. Mayfield has clinched back-to-back Pro Bowl bids while leading the Buccaneers to the fourth-most points per game in the NFL last season.

That’s not even mentioning arguably the best receiver in the NFL over the past decade in Mike Evans, alongside Chris Godwin and running backs Bucky Irving and Rachaad White.

However, they’re clearly lacking something on defense where they ranked 16th in turnovers forced and 16th in points allowed per game.

“They don’t need to change anything on offense,” says Barber. “Baker and his weapons, Mike (Evans), Godwin, Cade Otton’s turned into a really good reliable tight end. They have an offensive line that’s gonna be together for a long, long time. That side of the ball is pretty good. You add in Bucky Irving and the way he plays as a rookie. They need to find a way to get stops on defense.”

Barber: Pass-Rush Was ‘Non-Existent’ At Times In 2024

Barber mentions how the Buccaneers need to get better on the “second level of their defense” where they learn how to get stops on defense in key moments of the game. It’s worth noting that Tampa Bay lost against Washington in the playoffs by allowing the Commanders to drive 10 plays and 51 yards for a game-winning field goal as time expired. 

“There were so many games this year — yes, they made the playoffs and they won games when it matters — but there are so many games where they just needed one stop in the second half and they were going to win a football game and they just can’t manufacture it,” says Barber. “They need to get better on the second level of their defense.”

That’s where Barber believes the Buccaneers need to zone in on a cornerback or a safety in the draft.

“Whether that’s corners playing better, whether that’s safeties playing better or whether that’s influenced by getting a pass rush, which is sometimes non-existent for the Bucs,” says Barber. “I think that’s where you start on that side of the ball, and I’m sure that’ll be the emphasis this offseason, draft and preseason. They signed Haason Reddick for a reason on a one-year deal, he can prove it. And he could provide something that really hasn’t been there the past couple years.”

Barber says that Jason Licht — who has served as the team’s general manager since 2014 — says the team tends to draft guys who want to play for the Buccaneers rather than based upon positional need.

“They draft not necessarily for need or a position of availability, they draft guys that they know they want to be Buccaneers,” says Barber, who played all 16 years of his career in Tampa Bay. “They’re going to be long-time guys, guys like Chris Godwin, who stayed and could’ve gotten a lot more money going somewhere in free agency.”

The Hall of Fame defensive back again hammers home that he wants to see the Buccaneers hone in on a defensive player, specifically a cornerback or an edge rusher.

“They want guys that want to be in Tampa, but want to play football away from all those distractions,” says Barber. “So start there, especially in the first round. You don’t want to miss it in the first round. I’s hard for me to say who they’re going to take, but if it was me, I’m definitely looking at corner, definitely looking at edge rusher.”

Barber also leaves open the idea of the Buccaneers targeting an inside linebacker with longtime defensive captain Lavonte David entering his age-35 season.

“It wouldn’t hurt at some point in this draft to find an inside linebacker,” says Barber. “Lavonte is 35 years old, he’s going into year 14. At some point he’s going to have to find somebody to mentor to take over his position. I don’t think there’s an inside linebacker that you take in the first round there, but I would go that route as well.”

The post Ronde Barber Exclusive: Buccaneers Need To Draft Defensive Playmakers appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The following websites have been ordered to immediately stop offering online slots, table games, and video poker: Shazam Casino, Highway Casino, SlotsRoom, Ruby Slots Casino, Las Atlantis Casino, Big Bet Dollar Casino, Blood Moon Casino, Spinfinity, Jumba Bet Casino, Grand Eagle Online Casino, and DogsFortune.

Operators have been given 14 days from receiving the letter to cease operations. If they fail to comply, the MGCB will pursue legal action through the Michigan Attorney General’s Office.

Michigan Relentless in Enforcement

“The Michigan Gaming Control Board remains fully committed to ensuring a fair, safe, and lawful gaming environment for all Michigan residents,” MGCB executive director Henry Williams said. “This agency has zero tolerance for illegal gambling. We will continue to exercise our regulatory oversight and authority to protect the interests of Michigan citizens and licensed operators and ensure that all online gambling activities available here are compliant with the law.”

This comes one day after the MGCB sent cease-and-desist letters to Lucky Tiger Casino and Rich Palms Casino, in which it accused both of violating the Lawful Internet Gaming Act, the Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act, and the Michigan Penal Code.

Michigan has 12 licensed online casino operators, including nine partnered with tribes. In addition to sports betting, Michigan is one of seven states with legal iGaming, joining Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.

Legal iGaming generated a record $2.4 billion in Michigan in 2024, an increase of 26.3% from the previous year.

Consumer Complaints and Unethical Practices

The MGCB said in a press release that the sites in question offer payment methods, including credit cards, PayPal, and cryptocurrencies, to lure players into “risky gambling environments” through deceptive practices ranging from withholding winnings to excessive wagering requirements.

The organization also noted that “players have reported that they are required to wager their deposits multiple times before being allowed to access their winnings, a practice that is not only unethical but also in violation of Michigan’s legal protections for gamblers.”

“In addition to financial risks, these illegal platforms also fail to adhere to state standards for responsible gaming, consumer protection, and data security, leaving users vulnerable to fraud, identity theft, and other financial dangers.”

As such, residents are asked to exercise caution when participating in online gaming and to verify each site’s legitimacy. 

The post Michigan Regulator Targets 11 Illegal Online Casinos in Latest Enforcement Push appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The Lions suffered a heartbreaking end to their 2024 season after falling to the Washington Commanders in their first playoff game. Detroit had entered the playoffs as Super Bowl favorites after ending the regular season with a league-best 15-2 record. 

However, they stumbled at home as their defense struggled to stop the Commanders, allowing 45 points and 481 total yards.

While the Lions obviously ended the season drastically short of expectations, Sanders says this can be a “lesson” used moving forward for the team as they continue to chase a Super Bowl. 

He says the Lions need to learn how to “close the deal” after coming up short over the past two years in the playoffs.

“I think a lot of it was a lesson for us,” Sanders told Casino Beats in an exclusive interview. “The last two years, the playoffs were a big lesson. If you rewind to the Niners game (the playoff game during the 2023 season) in Santa Clara where we had the Niners on the ropes and weren’t able to finish that game off. For the young players that we have, I think that’s another lesson that we can take going forward. The next time we’re in that situation — and for the coaches as well — how to close the deal.”

Although the Lions have been tremendous over the past two seasons, they’re still new to playing postseason football. Detroit has the most wins (27) since the start of the 2023 season, but they blew a 17-point halftime lead against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.

They unexpectedly stumbled against the wild card Commanders in the divisional round of this past year’s playoffs.

Sanders: Injuries ‘Big Part’ Of Playoff Misstep

The Lions dealt with an unusually high number of injuries, which decimated their defensive unit. Defensive Player of the Year candidate Aidan Hutchinson was sidelined due to a season-ending injury suffered in Week 6. 

Prior to his injury, he had been leading the NFL in sacks (7.5). Detroit had an NFL-high 22 players on injured reserve in late December.

However, Sanders isn’t pinpointing the Lions’ playoff shortcoming as simply due to injuries — it’s a matter of them taking their “lumps” before taking that leap into winning a Super Bowl.

 ”The injuries were a big part of it,” says Sanders, “But I also believe that sometimes you have to go through some of those lumps and lessons. If you look at last season — I was observing each game — so many of those games seemed almost easy. I’m sure it wasn’t, but it appeared easy.”

Sanders: Miscues Hard To Overcome In Postseason

Sanders points towards the team’s win over the Houston Texans, 26-23, in Week 10 after Jared Goff threw five interceptions. The Lions trailed by 10 points entering the fourth quarter and became the first team since 2012 to win a game with their quarterback throwing at least five interceptions.

The Hall of Fame running back is arguing that the team had some lucky breaks during the regular season, but their miscues finally caught up to them during their playoff game against the Commanders.

“I don’t remember how many interceptions we threw and how many turnovers we had, but to beat a good Texans team at home with that many errors, it just seemed strange to me,” says Sanders. “To win that game was amazing. When you get to playoff football, you’re not going to get those kinds of breaks.”

The Lions still return essentially their entire nucleus, with the exception of former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who took the head coaching job with the Chicago Bears. However, they’ll return Goff, their main offensive weapons like Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs along with head coach Dan Campbell.

Although Detroit has suffered heartbreak over the past two years in the playoffs, it can be used as lessons learned as the franchise looks to hoist its first Vince Lombardi Trophy.

“That’s the deal, you have to close,” says Sanders. “Although last year was record-breaking in a lot of ways, obviously, when we got to the playoffs there’s still lessons that we needed to learn. And having the number of injuries to the key positions that we had, obviously that was a factor.”

Considering the Lions have proven to be the best team in the regular season over the past two years, they should be in the running again entering the 2025 season.

Sanders points towards how the Philadelphia Eagles were finally able to overcome their own playoff shortcomings by blowing out the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. The Eagles had lost to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl two years prior and were blown out by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round at the end of the 2023 season. 

The end of their 2023 season saw them lose six of their final seven games to end the year.

“If you look at what’s happened in the NFC over the last few years, the Lions are at the top of that list, right? They’re up there with the Eagles, they’re up there with the Niners, they’re up there with the Vikings,” says Sanders. “So I think it was a lesson. Hopefully it was another lesson that we can take with us going forward as we march toward trying to win a Super Bowl.”

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The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has ordered Curaçao-based Alistair Solutions NV to cease operations of two offshore casino brands, Lucky Tiger Casino and Rich Palms Casino. 

In a release, the regulator stated that the two casino brands are in breach of the Lawful Internet Gaming Act, the Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act, and the Michigan Penal Code. 

Both casinos have 14 days from the receipt of the cease-and-desist letter to cease all gambling operations currently available to Michigan residents if they wish to avoid further legal action and penalties. 

Those who breach the Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act can be found guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment for up to ten years, a fine of up to $100,000, or both. 

The MGCB received a tip about the gaming websites, and an investigation found that both sites offered Michigans a variety of games such as online slots, table games, and video poker. 

“The Michigan Gaming Control Board will continue to make it clear that any operator found to be operating unlawfully will face appropriate consequences,” commented Henry Williams, an Executive Director at the MGCB. 

“This agency has zero tolerance for illegal gambling. We will continue to exercise our regulatory oversight and authority to protect the interests of Michigan citizens and licensed operators and ensure that all online gambling activities here are compliant with the law.” 

Michigan Regulator Keeping Busy

In March, the MGCB ordered fifteen offshore casino brands to cease and desist. The most extensive clampdown was on casino skins belonging to Apex Dynamics Limited, a Belize-based company operating in the Wolverine State without a license.

The regulator found the company readily accepting deposits from Michigan users, allowing them to wager on real-money casino games. 

The state is among the most proactive in attempting to curb offshore operators, as shown by over 15 enforcement actions last month.

iGaming Continues to Grow in the State

The legislative trend across the United States of America regarding gambling is prohibition. Although online sports betting has proliferated countrywide, iGaming has frequently hit stumbling blocks. 

This is despite the substantial numbers coming out of regulated iGaming states such as Michigan.

iGaming drew $222.5 million in gross receipts in February 2025, up 18.4% year over year, and adjusted gross receipts showed 23.6% growth in the same period. 

The current market leader, by adjusted gross receipts, was FanDuel (in partnership with MotorCity Casino), followed by BetMGM and the MGM Grand Detroit. DraftKings, in partnership with the Bay Mills Indian Community, rounded off the top three. 

The state received $42.3 million in tax from iGaming for February.

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The fourth-year safety spoke in-depth about his journey with Casino Beats, and also took time out to talk about new Bears coach Ben Johnson, quarterback Caleb Williams, ex-Penn State teammate Tyler Warren, the CeeDee Lamb beef, Mike Tomlin and more.

Question: Have you met Ben Johnson? If so, what were your impressions?

Jaquan Brisker: “Yes, I actually did meet him. I met him in the offseason when I was working out up there. The first day or two it was tough to get him, because he was moving around, but the second or third day I got to meet him. And to be honest, I really thought it was going to be, like, a five-minute conversation, and it turned to, like, maybe an hour-thirty, two-hour conversation. And it was about ball, about life. He was very easy to talk to. You could tell he’s a great person, great man. He fits right in. It was a great conversation.”

Q: Everybody talks about what he can do from a schematic standpoint and how smart he is, but as a person, too, how important is that relationship?

Jaquan Brisker: “It’s important, especially player to coach, coach to player. That’s important to have that connection, that communication. I feel like it’s super important, and that’s what you need. You need a coach you can always go to or talk to. I thought it was gonna be five to 10, just a little quick, you know, what’s up? He told me to sit down and the conversation ended up going and going. We talked about so many different things. So I’m like, yeah, that connection is there. It was easy from there.”

Q: Dennis Allen is coming in for the defense. What do you know about his scheme? I’m not sure if you’ve met him or not, but what are your expectations looking at what he brings defensively?

Jaquan Brisker: “Yes, I also met with him. I met with all the coaches in the building when I was working out. Great conversation. Love all the coaches we have. And what I think about the scheme is it’s DB friendly. It looks like the defensive backs are going make a lot of plays and fly around. Sometimes he’s aggressive, sometimes he’s not. He’s changing it up. And then I just know he’s been top-five over a couple years. His defenses have been great.”

Q:  Do you know any defensive backs that have played in the scheme? I’m wondering if you’ve talked to anybody about how it’s gone for them, or do you just have more of a big picture overview?

Jaquan Brisker: “Just a big picture overview. I mean, obviously I know Tyrann (Mathieu) played there the last couple years. J.T. Gray. That’s just the Saints players that I watched (in the scheme). When we were in the draft, Dennis Allen and I met at the combine and they told me at 49 they were going to take me. They were going to pick me and I was like one pick away. So there was that connection always there. They had signed Tyrann, so I was going to come in to play next to him.”

Q: Did Dennis Allen say anything now that he finally landed you, maybe a few years later than he hoped? Did you bring it up?

Jaquan Brisker: “Yeah, we both kind of brought it up. He’s like, finally, we get to connect. And, you know, you get to coach me, I can play for you. So it was a great moment, because at the combine, I had a great interview with them, and I love Coach Allen. I still remember what he was trying to teach me at the Combine and said that to him, and he was laughing.”

Q: You have a pretty diverse skill-set, can get after that quarterback. Do you think your role will be similar to what you’ve done in the past?

Jaquan Brisker: “Well, last year, we ended up playing left and right, so I got the best of both worlds. I played free safety and strong safety. So me and Kevin Byard are looking to do the same thing, move around and fly around. And, you know, obviously, they’re probably gonna blitz me and things like that, do different things. So I’m definitely excited to see what’s gonna happen with positions I’m gonna play, especially on third down or whatever. It’s gonna be very exciting, especially since it’s DB-friendly. I watched their film, and I saw that sometimes they have seven DBs in there, eight DBs. I could tell he loved his DBs.”

Q: I wanted to talk to you a little bit about the Bears overall. Caleb Williams, everybody’s excited to see what he can do in his second year. What have been your impressions of Caleb?

Jaquan Brisker: “He’s a hard worker, he’s very locked in, he’s detailed. And he’s got that X-factor. I feel like he will take that next step. I feel like he has a chip on the shoulder from last season, especially the way it ended for us. We knew what the season was supposed to be, but it didn’t go that way. And I feel like he’s gonna have a chip on his shoulder to dominate the league. 

“And, yeah, he’s great. He’s a great teammate, great person. Just puts his head down and works, and I’m sure he’s working behind closed doors without posting. So it’s gonna be scary, because I know he has that attitude to where he wants to get back at people. And I like that. I know he’s gonna take over this league. Ben, him and Caleb paired up, it’s going to be amazing. That’s who Caleb wanted in the offseason. It’s going to be amazing seeing Caleb grow, and he’s ready.”

Q: Looking at the DB group – you talked about how DB friendly the new scheme is, and just how talented is that group of of players?

Jaquan Brisker: “Oh, my God, dangerous group. We call ourselves the Avengers. It’s definitely a great group, on and off the field. Last year, we were just getting comfortable. There were no touchdowns over our head. We were flying around. We got the chemistry, like we had chemistry that we played for 10 years. So just imagine it is gonna be like that next year too. So it’s gonna be great playing with Tyrique (Stevenson), Kyler (Gordon), KB (Byard), Jaylon (Johnson). It’s going to be amazing for us to bring it back again this year and show what we really could do.”

Q: The last three seasons haven’t been super fun from a team standpoint. Are you optimistic about the trajectory of the team? What is the key for the Bears to take the next step?

Jaquan Brisker: “I feel like we’re in a great spot. The key for us to take the next step is to put our head down every single day and just work. We already had that chemistry together. We’re very close. We trust each other. Now it’s just time to work, change the culture, drive the culture the way we want it. Do you everything the coach tells us do. Follow his philosophies. 

“We make great moves every year and now it’s time to get off the paper and get down to it. Because on paper you could say, this team could have gone 12-5. Oh, last year’s team could have went 11-6. During OTAs, we have to put our heads down. We have to do everything right. Not say too much. Because every year it feels great, but we need to work.”

Q: Is it almost like a no excuses thing at this point? Like, okay, we might have said it the past couple years and it didn’t turn out. We need to do this.

Jaquan Brisker: “It’s a very important year for the whole team. I feel like we have so much to prove, to the league, to ourselves. We feel like these last two years should have been playoff teams, easily playoff teams, and they haven’t. And we got to continue to find out that answer. We know what we’ve got to do, and that’s really to change our culture. We need a different culture. We’ve got the people, but we’ve got to put it together. Offense, defense, special teams, coaching staff, upstairs. It could be dangerous.

“Coach Ben, he’s the right coach, and we’re in the right situation. So I feel like there’s a lot of things that are going to turn, but it’s gonna come with hard work. It’s not gonna be easy.”

Q: I wanted to ask you about Tyler Warren, who’s potentially a top-10 pick. You overlapped with him a couple years at Penn State. Do you remember him?

Jaquan Brisker: “For sure. He was already showing potential. I mean, obviously I was locking him up, but you could definitely tell in practices, running routes, blocking. My last year he was the Wildcat quarterback for us. He used to play quarterback in high school. So he used to be diving over the piles. We gave him a couple jump balls (in games). I thought he should have got the ball a lot more, but, yeah, I think he’s amazing.

“I feel like he’s gonna be a top-five, top-10 pick. Like I said on Twitter not too long ago, him and (Cole) Kmet would be crazy. I love Tyler. He’s capable of a lot of things. And we all knew that. If you didn’t know that, then you weren’t paying attention. He’s a great player.”

Q:  Would you match up with him a decent amount in practice?

Jaquan Brisker: “We were doing one on ones so there was plenty of time with him, blocking instruction. He wasn’t on the scout team, but we played ones against ones, ones against twos. We got to see each other plenty of times. And then Coach Franklin used to throw us in the fire. You know, Tyler Warren versus Brisker.

Q: You guys have pick number 10 overall?

Jaquan Brisker: “Yep.”

Q: OK, so that could happen. I mean, it’s not unrealistic, if he’s still there.

Jaquan Brisker: “It’s definitely not unrealistic, especially with Coach’s scheme. He likes two tight ends. The Rob Gronkowski pairing, or whoever you want to name, it would be that type of duo.”

Q: I read a bit about your friendship with Miles Sanders, who is from your same area in Pittsburgh. Have you spoken with him this offseason? It feels like Dallas is a pretty good opportunity as far as playing time, being in an offense with some playmakers. Can he bounce back?

Jaquan Brisker: “Yeah, I talk to him here and there. We have little conversations sometimes. And really, I think for him, it’s gonna be a great fit in Dallas, especially, like you said, they have playmakers everywhere. They have a great line to where he’s gonna be able to run the ball and do what he wants to do. I feel like he fits their scheme. Miles is a very balanced runner, but he can run routes, and then he’ll block on third down. So I feel like he’s an amazing football player, and I feel like Dallas is going to use his talent to his abilities, which is good. So I feel like he’s in a great spot. I feel like he could become the starter too. He has that type of potential to start. He’s very smooth. It felt like it was the right opportunity. He’s gonna be in great hands. So I felt he made the right decision to go to Dallas.”

Q:  You’re never shy to speak your mind on social, and when CeeDee Lamb was talking down about the 2024 Bears, you were quick to back up your team.

Jaquan Brisker: “For sure. I’m always going to back up my team.”

Q: Have you talked to CeeDee personally since then?

Jaquan Brisker: “No, definitely not personally. Nope.”

Q: Are you looking forward to that game? You think it’ll add a little bit of motivation on each side?

Jaquan Brisker: “I feel like he just added more motivation to it. He kind of made it worse. I’m already motivated, not because of him, but because of last year, what it could have been. But obviously he added more fuel to fire. When the game comes, I’m going to remember everything he said. People don’t know me, but when people talk smack about my team or myself, it definitely turns me up, man. I look forward to seeing him. I’m not going to say too much, but everybody knows what I like doing on the field. Eventually we’re going to see each other.”

Q: Yep, for sure. Switching gears here. Were you a Steelers fan growing up in Pittsburgh?

Jaquan Brisker: “No, I was a Patriots fan. I was a Tom Brady fan. Tom was my favorite player. Corey Dillon, players like that. Rodney Harrison, Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, , Richard Seymour, Ty Law, Darrelle Revis, Asante Samuel, people like that. Gronk eventually, like, there’s so many players, but really, Tom Brady was my favorite quarterback. 

“I was interested in the Steelers, though. I wasn’t a Steelers fan, but I love Mike Tomlin, especially. He was a mentor to me growing up. We had a lot of great conversations. So I’m definitely a Mike Tomlin fan.”

Q: Was this back in high school when you met in?

Jaquan Brisker: “This was back in fifth grade, sixth grade camps. Winning championships at his camps. Then going to the stadium and meeting with him, talking to him, working out around the facility. I talked to him before the draft. They were trying to get me, they told me. We always had a great connection. I love Mike T, for sure.”

Q: How did it go over when you wore Patriots gear at school in Pittsburgh?

Jaquan Brisker: “People used to be hating. They were mad. The Steelers were good, but the Patriots were just so dominant. People hated Tom Brady. You know how it is. When people win that much, people hate. They wanted to see him lose so bad. Everybody’s like, ‘Why aren’t you a Steelers fan? You live in Pittsburgh.’ But my family on my dad’s side didn’t like the Steelers, and it kind of rubbed off on me.”

Q: Do you go back to Pittsburgh some in the offseason?

Jaquan Brisker: “Yes, I go back in the summer to work out. I used to work out with Aaron Donald all the time, but obviously he’s retired, so now I just work out by myself or with Miles (Sanders), Damar Hamlin, Dane Jackson, Kenny Robinson, Khaleke Hudson, Joey Porter.”

Q: Are you a fan of the game to point where you’re interested if Aaron Rodgers is going to go to the Steelers? Do you focus on some of the big stuff going on in the NFL? 

Jaquan Brisker: “Yes, I’m definitely a fan. I’m a fan of football. Always been a fan. I don’t know what the Steelers are going to do. Probably sign Aaron Rodgers. If not, I feel like they’re going to draft the quarterback – or get Aaron and draft the quarterback anyway. I don’t know what’s gonna happen. They don’t have a quarterback right now, so I know something has to happen.”

Q: Looking at the Bears’ season, you guys lost five games by a field goal or less, which is probably frustrating. You guys do all this game planning, all this training, and then you can kick a field goal at the end of a game, and it misses by six inches. Is there a decent amount of luck involved?

Jaquan Brisker: “I wouldn’t say luck. I’ll say a lot of things could change the game. No, whether that’s turnovers, certain calls being made by the refs, scheme, whatever it may be. It’s crazy because it’s not luck, but it just really how the game goes in the NFL. You see it all the time. It might be close, and then there might be a fumble. It might be close, might be a missed field goal. Might be close, it might be a block field goal, an interception, a great play. So no, I’ll just say it comes with that. It doesn’t come with luck. Nah. You can’t be lucky.”

Q: So it’s more about the game-changing plays, but you think preparation is a bigger part of that than luck.

Jaquan Brisker: “Preparation, scheme. All of that matters, from the walkthroughs to practice to the game. Because that little detail could be a touchdown. All of that is important, and you have to go play regardless of what they’re going to call. You’ve got to maximize it and try to win.”

Q: You played with Justin Fields for a couple of years, and now he’s headed to the Jets. How do you think he’s going to perform there?

Jaquan Brisker: “He’s gonna be a great player. That’s Houdini, man. He’s gonna make things happen. He’s in a great spot.  Get him a couple weapons, an O-line. I feel like he’s gonna be great. I always thought he was great, and he’s an amazing quarterback off the field, which is important. He talks to everyone. He’s a great guy. I feel like the Jets was a perfect fit for him.”

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