General Sports 24-Hour Briefing
×Boxing & Combat Sports
A highly anticipated boxing clash between undefeated Japanese stars Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani is set for May 2 at the Tokyo Dome for Inoue's undisputed junior featherweight title. Meanwhile, combat sports star Francis Ngannou is a free agent after his release by the PFL, having competed in both MMA and boxing in recent years.
NASCAR & Racing
Tyler Reddick has won the first three races of 2026, but no one in NASCAR history has started a year with four straight. Can he become the first? The driver is on the verge of rewriting NASCAR's history books.
NFL & American Football
The Raiders are set to release quarterback Geno Smith, barring a trade, before the start of the new league year, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. In contract projections, Dan Graziano made calls around the NFL to get a sense of how contracts might look for 20 free agents, including whether Alec Pierce could earn north of $25M per year.
NBA & Basketball
Suns forward Dillon Brooks was arrested early Friday morning for suspicion of driving under the influence in Scottsdale, Arizona, police said. In college basketball, star freshman Caleb Wilson is increasing practice work for No. 17 North Carolina ahead of the rivalry game at No. 1 Duke but has yet to be cleared for 5-on-5 action due to his hand fracture.
Rugby & Cricket
England's cricket team faces challenges as head coach Brendon McCullum and director of cricket Rob Key look likely to retain ECB support despite a disappointing winter. In rugby, Wales aim to have the last laugh against Ireland in the Six Nations at the Aviva Stadium on Friday after being the subject of ridicule. France can secure back-to-back Six Nations titles against Scotland on Saturday, while Jack Crowley says he is simplifying things and staying present after winning back the Ireland 10 shirt.
Winter Sports & Paralympics
Iran will not take part in the Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics, the IPC confirms, as the nation's solitary athlete scheduled to compete "cannot travel safely to Italy." The Games continue with 12 golds to be decided on Saturday. Great Britain's wheelchair curlers hold nerve to beat USA, keeping them fully in the hunt for a semi-final spot in the wheelchair curling mixed doubles.
Tennis & Other Sports
Jack Draper says he no longer has "any fear" around the arm injury that plagued him for eight months as he prepares to begin his Indian Wells title defence. In curling, Ross Whyte and Fay Henderson will make their World Curling Championship debuts this month after each completing three successive Scottish titles.
College Sports & Recruiting
Five-star recruit Jaxon Richardson, son of former NBA star Jason Richardson and brother of Orlando guard Jase, has committed to Alabama, he told ESPN on Thursday. In wrestling, Bella Mir, daughter of heavyweight champ Frank with Dana White as her mentor, grapples for an NCAA title this weekend.
International Football
Lionel Messi, owner Jorge Mas, and members of the Inter Miami team visited the White House to celebrate last year's Major League Soccer Cup victory, where Trump asked "Who's better, him or Pele?"