WSSN Stories

DJ Khaled’s 2010 hit, “All I Do Is Win” could well serve as the soundtrack for the Russell family’s boxing careers. With three brothers currently competing, they have an imposing combined record of 63–1. Their bond extends outside the sport of boxing, as they all bear the same name, differentiated only by different middle names.

Saturday night, Gary Antonio Russell (18–0) looks for his next win while also seeking the interim World Boxing Association title. Looking to derail those plans is former International Boxing Federation bantamweight champion Emmanuel Rodriguez (19–2) with 12 knockouts. Russell will have to put his entire set of skills on display to bring that title back to his residence, the nation’s capital. The highly anticipated bantamweight bout can be seen live on Showtime.

Zenger News was able to get a fight-week reaction from Russell, who explains what he needs to do to walk away with a victory, how the death of his younger brother affected him, why he wears tennis shoes in the ring and more.

Percy Crawford interviewed Gary Antonio Russell for Zenger.

Zenger: You have been locked down training for your fight against Emmanuel Rodriguez on Saturday night. How has camp treated you?

Antonio Russell: I feel great physically. My weight is low. I am only a few pounds away, so I feel good.

Zenger: Has it hit you yet that you are competing for this WBA interim title, or do you think it will hit you once you’re in the moment?

Antonio Russell: Maybe that’s when it’s going to happen when I’m there, doing my mitts, and then it will probably hit me a little different. But right now, I say it humbly, I expected it. I knew it would come if I stayed grounded and stuck to my everyday thing.

Zenger: He headlined a card that you fought on the undercard. Were you able to watch him once he got in the ring, or was he not quite on the radar yet?

Antonio Russell: Honestly, I didn’t pay any attention at all. Not because I didn’t want to, but I was going through so much mentally at the time. So, right after my fight, I was looking to get out of there. I was and am still dealing with losing my younger brother, Gary Boosa Russell, so after that fight I completely broke down. I just wanted to leave. I didn’t watch anybody after that.

Zenger: I know it’s been tough on the family, for sure. Is this fight against Rodriguez in any way a dedication to your brother who died?

Antonio Russell: Nah, it’s not for anyone. It’s completely for me. I know my team and my family will benefit from it, but right now this is definitely for me. I’m going to be the one in there throwing punches. I do it for my fam and everything, but I ain’t making this fight out to nobody but myself. I feel like I owe that to myself.

Zenger: Rodriguez’s last five opponents have a combined record of 101–1, and you will be his fourth consecutive undefeated opponent. That being said, what do you think of the skill set he brings to the table because he’s obviously willing to face the best?

Antonio Russell: He’s a good all-around fighter. I have watched him several times. He has good hand speed. I feel like he may lack some of the punching power that I possess, as well as some of the hand speed and ring generalship. With him being an ex-champion, I feel as though I have those same champion qualities. I just haven’t had the chance to display it. I feel like on Saturday night, I will be able to.

Zenger: You are 18 fights into your career. Did this opportunity come sooner than you expected, later than you expected or right on time?

Antonio Russell: I had my moments which I felt like it was taking a long time, I had my moments in which I felt like I should’ve been in this position, but everything plays out the way it’s supposed to.

Zenger: What do you have to do on Aug. 14 to assure yourself a victory?

Antonio Russell: I just have to be me. I don’t feel like he possesses anything that I haven’t seen. I tell people all the time, I feel as though the amateurs was tougher than the pros. In the pros you have two months to prepare for just one person. You can look at them over and over. In a tournament, you get a different style every night.

Zenger: That makes a lot of sense. Not very many fighters fought twice in 2020 due to COVID, like you did. Some didn’t fight at all. Did those two fights help you stay sharp?

Antonio Russell: I will say this humbly, as well — I don’t think it helped me too much. I think it gave me more time to work on my craft and to perfect more things in my arsenal. Other than that, we train every single day anyway as if we’re getting ready for a fight. We’re always keeping our gears turning.

Zenger: Juan Carlos Payano is a tough outing for any fighter, and you were able to defeat him in your last fight. Did you gain valuable experience during that fight?

Antonio Russell: You always gotta look back at things and see what you did wrong, see what you did right. I definitely took a lot of things from the Payano fight, and a lot of it was not skill-set things. It was more things from me as an individual. I definitely dealt with the loss of my brother that week and had to leave and fight that weekend. I pulled it off, I made it through, I got the victory.

But in my opinion, it was not my best performance — but I got it done. That says a lot about me. I don’t feel like a lot of people would have been able to do the same thing that I did that quickly. So, I applaud myself for that, but I also look at it like, even with that traumatic loss that I took, I should have been able to hold my composure together a little better than what I did.

Zenger: Man, you are definitely a tough critic of yourself, because many fighters may have pulled out of that fight, and no one could question them for it.

Antonio Russell: I guess it’s just me being hard on myself, but you’re right, it wasn’t easy. I just feel like I should have held myself together more. I shouldn’t have let it affect me as much mentally.

Zenger: You are probably the only fighter that wears tennis shoes to the ring to box in. Why not boxing shoes?

Antonio Russell: Honestly, they stopped making my favorite boxing boots a long time ago. Once they discontinued them, I couldn’t find a shoe that had that same good feel. So, I always worked out in my tennis shoes anyway. They’re comfortable, most of the time they’re basketball shoes, so you have that ankle support for me to move around in. I got little feet, bro, so none of my shoes are heavy. And they look good with my uniform (laughing).

Zenger: What would capturing this belt mean to you?

Antonio Russell: Man … it would mean a lot. It would also mean that I’m in line with the universe the way I’m supposed to be, and that my manifestation is on, and I’m where I need to be. I’m on the right track and I know if I stay consistent, I will be good.

Zenger: When the name Emmanuel Rodriguez was initially brought to you, what did you think?

Antonio Russell: It was a no-brainer, but of course we had to process it and weigh out our options. My pops brought it to me, we talked about it, I asked him what he thought about it. He liked the fight; I liked the fight, and we went from there.

Zenger: When you look at the bantamweight division, where would you like a win over Rodriguez to place you within the division?

Antonio Russell: If I win this belt, I feel it should definitely put me in position to fight a champion. If not, if I have to fight again before I actually see a champion for whatever reason, we will go with that. I’ll talk to my team about it, and we will go from there.

Zenger: After Saturday night, would you like to fight again before the year is out?

Antonio Russell: I’m getting familiar with how things work in the pros, and I understand at any given set date something can happen in which it pushes fights back or anything. So, I really don’t think about it too much. Of course, I would love to fight again. God willing, I get through this fight injury-free and victorious, I would love to go back.

Zenger: For anybody watching Gary Antonio Russell for the first time on Saturday night, what can they expect to see?

Antonio Russell: They can expect me to be exciting and to be sharp. And for the ones who have watched me before, they can expect to see more of my arsenal that they didn’t get a chance to see in my earlier bouts due to the competition. In most cases when you have better people in front of you, you can perform better because they’re not going to lay down. They are actually gonna fight.

Zenger: I am looking forward to this fight, good luck, and we will speak afterward. Is there anything else you want to add?

Antonio Russell: Anyone who’s into Instagram can follow me @garyantoniorussell_

Edited by Matthew B. Hall and Stan Chrapowicki

While some cooling off is expected, demand for gasoline in the U.S. remains steady enough for the time being to prevent prices dropping, analysts told Zenger.

Travel club AAA estimated the average national retail price at $3.18 for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline on Tuesday, a figure relatively unchanged from a week prior.

Crude oil prices, which account for the bulk of prices at the gas pump, have been on a downward trajectory this month, with the price of Brent crude oil down nearly 7 percent.

But gas prices have not followed suit.

Denton Cinquegrana, the chief oil analyst at the Oil Price Information Service, said crude oil prices have been remarkably volatile. But he noted that’s not been the case for gas.

“Want to know what the most common gasoline price in the U.S. is? $2.99 per gallon. Want to know what the most common price in the U.S. has been since late June? $2.99 per gallon,” he said. “Prices are high, but are really remarkably stable.”

AAA’s national average is skewed by the West Coast, where prices are above $4 per gallon. Several states along the US Gulf Coast, meanwhile, are posting prices around $2.80.

With the stability that Cinquegrana referenced, consumers may be acclimated to higher prices at the pump. The latest reading from the federal government on the total amount of refined petroleum products supplied to the market, including gasoline, has been steady for weeks. That data is a loose proxy for demand and remains above pre-pandemic levels.

Matthew Kohlman, an associate director for refined products pricing at S&P Global Platts, told Zenger from Houston that there might be a bit of a floor under commodity prices in general because of that continued strength in demand.

“Strong gasoline demand and profit margins aren’t only in the U.S., they’re global — seen also in Europe, which is also on holiday season, as well as parts of Asia,” Kohlman said.

Still, the period between the July 4 long weekend and September’s Memorial Day usually sees a lull in demand. Meanwhile, the rapid spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19 could also have a negative impact demand if social restrictions are put back in place.

Patrick DeHaan, the senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy, told Zenger from Chicago that there’s “definitely” room for prices to move lower.

“Peak summer demand is over,” DeHaan said.

A federal report published Tuesday predicted the national average retail price for a gallon of gasoline will be around $2.88 by the fourth quarter of the year.

Edited by Bryan Wilkes and Alex Willemyns

Finding someone who could fill the shoes, or more accurately the iconic white suit, of Latino legend Ricardo Montalban in his role as the mysterious but always courteous, courtly and cultured Mr. Roarke on “Fantasy Island,” which ran from 1977 to 1984, had to be a daunting task. But the series has proved it repeatedly: dreams do come true.

The producers of the show’s new incarnation, which premiers on FOX on Aug. 10, may have taken a secret trip to the tropical paradise and asked the island to send them a star to take Montalban’s place.

Roselyn Sánchez (“Act of Valor,” “Without a Trace”) has managed in only four episodes to make the role her own.

Elena Roarke is the grand-niece of Mr. Roarke. She continues the Roarke dynasty that owns and runs Fantasy Island. Ms. Roarke wears in every episode a sleek, feminine, custom-tailored white suit that replicates Mr. Roarke’s right down to the vest.

In every episode, Ms. Roarke helps her guests realize their fantasies with friendly persuasion, gentle encouragement and tough love with a velvet touch. But, as the storyline develops, she finds that accepting the responsibility of becoming the new Roarke comes with a price of personal loss and self-sacrifice.

Different fantasies, different voices

A film crew dominated by highly skilled women artists and technicians in front of and behind the camera is shooting the classic’s new version.

The dynamic writing duo of Elizabeth Craft and Sara Fain, who previously teamed up to work on “The Shield,” “The Fix” and “66 Park Avenue,” has infused the “Fantasy Island” remake with a feminine point of view. Thanks to Craft and Fain, new visitors to “Fantasy Island” explore their feelings, desires and uncertainties in a more nuanced way, permeating the lessons they learn and the decisions they make.

In Episode One, Kiana Barnes (“The Bold and the Beautiful,” “Stick with You”), as Ruby, experiences loss, self-sacrifice, and the painful realization it often takes more strength to let go than it does to hold on. Ruby ultimately finds herself forever transformed.

 

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Craft and Fain have created a wide range of ethnically diverse visitors to Fantasy Island, allowing them to tell their stories in their distinctive voices. They also have found creative twists for tried and true story structures.

“Da plane” is not just a plain plane

The show no longer opens with Tattoo ringing the bell announcing the arrival of new guests with the two most imitated lines in TV history: “Da plane! Da plane!” In the new series, “da plane” still arrives but without all the previous fanfare.

However, the plane puts a twist on the plot.

John Gabriel Rodriguez (“The Vampire Diaries,” “NCIS”) plays Javier, the handsome, hotshot pilot who brings anxious fantasy-seekers to the mystic isle. Javier harbors a desire of his own involving the lovely Elena Roarke.

Unlike the old series, in which Mr. Roarke seemed like an unapproachable, mythical, almost godlike being, Ms. Roarke is a real woman. Despite her powers to make things happen on her island, she has vulnerabilities and desires of her own. Sánchez has not only instilled Ms. Roarke with beauty, intelligence and lots of moxie, but also with a huge dollop of humanity.

“What can this Island do for you?”

Ms. Roarke’s humanity is evident when she asks all the excited arrivals, “What can this island do for you?” The question reflects her generosity and willingness to share the island’s mysterious gifts with those seeking answers or wishing to change something in their troubled lives.

The magical place will fulfill a fantasy for viewers, who will witness the birth of a Latina superstar, Roselyn Sánchez. Her refreshing Latin charm, vitality and down-to-earth humanity make Sánchez the likable and logical heir to the Roarke legacy.

The crew is shooting “Fantasy Island” in Puerto Rico, Roselyn Sánchez’s birthplace. The island is a lush tropical Caribbean gem whose warm sea breezes carry the whispered allure and promise of fantasies yet unrealized.

Roselyn Sánchez Brings Latina Star Power To The TV Series Classic was first published in LatinHeat Entertainment.

Edited by Gabriela Alejandra Olmos and Kristen Butler

WASHINGTON — Netflix, on Aug. 6, 2021, released the second teaser for the upcoming season of supernatural series, “Stranger Things,” which confirmed that season 4 would debut in 2022, nearly two and a half years after the July 2019 release of season 3.

The new 30-second teaser features classic moments from the first three seasons of “Stranger Things” mixed with quick snippets from season 4 footage, including a glimpse of the new monster, an amusement park, and a creepy old clock.

The teaser also will air on Aug. 13, 2021 night during the National Broadcasting Company’s (NBC) Tokyo Olympics coverage.

The first season 4 trailer, which was released on Feb. 14, 2020, teased fans with the return of David Harbour’s Hopper. The second trailer, released in May 2021, hinted at the rumored return of Dr. Martin Brenner, played by Matthew Modine.

However, a month after “Stranger Things” started production on season 4 in February 2020, it was suspended due to the escalating coronavirus pandemic. It resumed in September 2020, as per reports.

The show’s season three concluded with the heroes of Hawkins triumphant once again, but they suffered a loss.

Hopper (Harbour) perished due to Joyce (Winona Ryder) closing the door to the Upside Down below the Star Court Mall. And during the battle with a monster, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) lost her powers. Following Hopper’s death, Joyce took Eleven and moved with the Byers family, including Will (Noah Schnapp) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), out of Hawkins.

Teasing its fan, during a credits scene set in Russia, “Stranger Things” revealed Russians had a Demogorgon and “the American” captive. Could Hopper be alive? That remains to be seen.

“Although it’s not all good news for our ‘American’ (Hopper); he is imprisoned far from home in the snowy wasteland of Kamchatka, where he will face dangers both human…and other,” said Duffer brothers, the series creator to a media outlet in 2020.

“Meanwhile, back in the states, a new horror is beginning to surface, something long-buried, something that connects everything. Season 4 is shaping up to be the biggest and most frightening season yet, and we cannot wait for everyone to see more,” they said.

The series, homage to 1980s genre films, first premiered on Netflix in 2016 and has since swept away many award nominations, including 31 Emmy nominations and seven wins. The Duffers, writers, directors, and showrunners of the series, previously worked on the Fox series “Wayward Pines” and wrote and directed the post-apocalyptic horror film ‘Hidden.’

Created by Matt and Ross Duffer, “Stranger Things” is produced by Monkey Massacre Productions & 21 Laps Entertainment. The twin brothers serve as writers, directors, executive producers, and showrunners on the series alongside executive producer/director Shawn Levy and executive producer Dan Cohen of 21 Laps and executive producer Iain Paterson.

(With inputs from ANI)

Edited by Ojaswin Kathuria and Nikita Nikhil

A man who performs backflips in slow motion is a hit on social media.

Micah Moeller’s videos on TikTok have 155,000 followers. Numerous videos have drawn more than 1 million views.

“I have been flipping since I was young and my family bought a trampoline, but I never took it seriously until I met my friend Kendan Smiley,” said 20-year-old Moeller, of Bellingham, Washington. “We would do trampoline tricks daily during the summer of 2017. I learned how to flip over years of practice and repetition. I never had traditional coaching, like gymnastics or cheerleading.”

In one TikTok clip viewed 3.4 million times, Moeller is standing in a garden before performing a backflip in slow motion that extends over two days and one night.

A similar video filmed in a living room has been viewed 3.7 million times on TikTok. Moeller flips backwards as the camera turns 360 degrees.

“Shorter-term content usually takes about two days for me to produce (one day filming and one day editing). But some of my short content has taken up to 80 hours to produce,” Moeller said.

“My longest project was a video on my YouTube channel about creating a trampoline park in my backyard. This video took about 800 hours to edit.

“Most of my VFX videos are use practical effects (in camera effects), but sometimes I will use cross dissolves or motion blur to make the final product smoother,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to create videos professionally, and I have been for the past four years. So you could say this is a childhood dream.”

However, Moeller draws the line at competitions.

“I haven’t competed in any flipping events, but I have filmed for a few. I find that competing takes the fun out of how open the sport is,” he said.

“The flipping community is more about supporting others for their own progression rather than how good someone is compared to the top athletes in the sport. The events are lots of fun though and usually have about 60 to 80 people competing.”

For any wannabe flippers out there, Moeller has some advice.

“Flips are definitely dangerous and should be learned in a proper facility if you have access to one,” he said. “Lots of gymnastics and cheerleading gyms have open gyms, and there are also trampoline parks available. These are great places to learn how to flip.”

Edited by Fern Siegel and Judith Isacoff

Forty-year-old Ed Herman will enter the UFC’s Octagon for the 28th time on Saturday night, this time in a match against the explosive Alonzo “Atomic” Menifield.

Now competing at light heavyweight, Herman (27–14–0, 1 no contest) has the longest uninterrupted tenure on the UFC’s active roster. He competed as a middleweight for much of his career, but feels fresher than ever now that cutting drastic amounts of weight is a thing of that past.

Herman’s UFC 265 preliminary bout opponent, Menifield (10–2–0), is coming off of a first-round submission of Fabio Cherant in March. Herman, known as “Short Fuse,” hasn’t competed since September 2020. He will be competing in his 41st fight as a mixed martial artist. UFC 265 can be seen live on pay-per-view via the Disney Bundle and ESPN Plus.

Zenger caught up with “Short Fuse” during fight week to discuss his battle plan against Menifield and what his future might hold after the fight.

Percy Crawford interviewed Ed Herman for Zenger.

Zenger: How is everything going, Ed?

Herman: Everything is going really good, man. It sounds a bit cliché, but almost better than ever. I’m feeling amazing at 40 years old.

Zenger: Would you credit that to your ability to continuously evolve with the game, taking good care of your body or a combination of the two?

Herman: Definitely a combination of both and a little of luck on my side.

Zenger: We all need a little of that. You have been in the UFC for a long time. Some of the guys you came in with aren’t even fighting anymore. How different is the game now as opposed to when you started?

Herman: It’s a lot different. Back then, it was kind of tough guys in the sport, and now it’s supreme athletes as well. There’s still tough guys, but the level of athletes that are in our sport now is very high. Guys are making the choice to come over now, to where they could be playing other professional sports and instead are choosing this path.

Zenger: You are coming into UFC 265 on a three-fight winning streak. You have shared the Octagon with a lot of great fighters. Do you feel like the experience gained in those fights are the keys to some of the consistency you’re having right now?

Herman: Yeah, a little bit. I would like to take some of the credit myself by putting in the work, continuing being a student of the game and continuing to try and evolve and get better to compete at this level.

Zenger: You have always had a blue-collar approach to fighting. That’s obviously what keeps you relevant and winning, but what keeps you motivated?

Herman: Well, I gotta say those paychecks are a part of it. I got college to pay for, for three kids. That kind of stuff. I like to be able to walk away from this sport and have some things to show for it. Now the money is better than it was before. Before I was making a living, but that was about it. Now I’m able to start to put some money away for my retirement, make some investments, and like I said, save for college for my kids. With inflation and everything becoming more expensive from real estate to gasoline, it’s hard to walk away from the money sometimes. And I’m still winning. I still feel good and healthy, so if I can do that, why not?

Zenger: Menifield is your opponent on Aug. 7. During one of his recent fights, you said you weren’t impressed by him or his opponent for that particular performance. What do you see in him heading into your matchup with him?

Herman: He’s a stud athlete. He’s very explosive. He looks really strong. He’s definitely a dangerous guy, but I feel my experience and my skill level is higher. I feel I can weather that storm, and I’ll have the opportunity to shut him down with my skills and my durability.

Zenger: It always feels like a pick your poison when someone is fighting against you because we have watched your standup get so much better, and obviously the wrestling has always been there. Stylistically, what type of fight are you expecting from Menifield?

Herman: You know, it’s kind of hard to say. I feel like in a lot of his fights, he’s come out with some big bursts, he likes to control the cage. Put a lot of pressure on guys and keep them pinned against the cage, and step back and flurry. He’s definitely strong enough to get a takedown and I can see him trying to get a takedown, but he’s got a smart coaching staff, and I don’t think that would be a very smart option for him. Especially after my last fight when my energy bar was down to the bottom and I still pulled off a submission.

I’m dangerous on the ground, man. I got legit jiu jitsu for fighting. You’re not going to see me rolling underneath for ankle locks or anything, but if it presented itself there, I’m going to look for it. I’m well-versed on the ground. I feel like he’s in trouble anywhere. I feel like he’s going to be nervous. I’ve got the reach on the outside. But he’s got that explosive power and that speed on me a little bit.

Zenger: Is it concerning to you that he may be a bit sharper, as he fought in March and you haven’t been inside the cage since last September?

Herman: I’ve been in the gym this whole time because I was supposed to fight in May; that got pushed back. I think I was supposed to fight in July, and that got pushed back. I’ve been in the gym all year. It’s not like before, when I was injured and out of the gym for months at a time. But I have trained this entire time. I don’t see any type of ring rust will be a problem for me. I haven’t fought for a little while, but I have still been really active, so I don’t see it being a problem.

Zenger: You have weathered so many storms throughout your career. What has it been like just making it to the cage and crossing your fingers hoping your opponent does the same, with COVID being a thing?

Herman: It’s been a crazy year. Last year I had a fight canceled the day of, and that was really frustrating. I had to get right back into camp right afterwards and get ready for Mike Rodriguez. At 39–40 years old, it’s a lot harder to do that than when you’re a kid. I use that time to recover. The camp is what takes it out of you a lot of the times. It’s been a tough time with COVID. Not only that, but all the separation of family and friends, and all the chaos throughout the world.

In the gym, you don’t see a lot of that. Every race, religion, none of that matters here. We’re all brothers. But I feel like outside of here, the world has become an ugly place right now. We gotta love each other and love our neighbors and get back to being there for people. Hopefully, that can continue to happen, and we can all get along.

Zenger: This will be your 41st fight, and in October you turn 41 years old, so that would seem to be a bit of an omen for you.

Herman: Ah, I didn’t think about that. That’s kind of crazy. I feel really good. Like I said, a little bit of luck and all that stuff we talked about with taking care of myself has gone a long way. I feel good. My first fight at 205, I didn’t cut any weight. I weighed in at 203. But I’ve been able to actually lift weights between camps and put on a little more muscle. That keeps me from getting injured as easy.

When you’re always too lean and constantly cutting weight, I feel like you get injured easier. Building a bit of muscle mass for this camp, I’ve been able to stay healthier that way. It’s the first time in my life that I have lifted weights on a consistent basis, so you’re going to see the biggest, baddest, strongest Ed Herman that you have ever seen, and I’m going to be shredded, too. That’s wassup, man. I’m ready to go. I feel great.

Zenger: Given your longevity, what’s your approach to these fights now?

Herman: I’m definitely not overlooking Alonzo, he’s a very dangerous opponent. I try to take it one fight at a time now. Each time we go back and talk to my coach and talk to my family to make sure my body’s right, my mind is right. I think a lot of it is mental at this point. I know how to fight. I know how to do all this stuff, but being in the right mindset matters. I’ve lost fights in the past before I even stepped in the cage because I wasn’t in the right place mentally. That’s a lot of it. I gotta enjoy these moments. What’s the worst that can happen, it’s already happened.

Zenger: What does Ed Herman have to do to be successful on Saturday night?

Herman: I just gotta go out there and put the work in. I gotta fight composed, I gotta fight smart, stay with my game plan and not let my emotions control what I’m doing, which isn’t always easy in the heat of the moment. I just gotta go do my thing and do what I do best, get out there and fight.

I’m up for a contract negotiation after this fight, so I’d love to stick around for a little bit longer. I’m taking it one at a time, but at the same time I think I’ve got another three or four fights in me before I hang them up.

Zenger: Win, lose or draw, you have never disappointed in terms of giving your all. I expect much of the same on Saturday night, and good luck to you.

Herman: It’s good to talk to you again. It’s been a long time, Percy. I want to thank all the fans for sticking by me. I got a lot of support coming into this fight. A lot of people giving me a lot of love, respect and support. I appreciate that from the fans and all my people who got my back. My gym here, American Top Team-Portland, my coaches and teammates, I couldn’t do this without them. You don’t do this by yourself, so also my family, of course.

Edited by Matthew B. Hall and Judith Isacoff

Badou Jack was set to avenge what many boxing insiders felt was an unjust split-decision loss to Jean Pascal on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather’s June 6 exhibition bout against YouTuber Logan Paul.

Instead, Jack was notified at the end of May that Pascal had tested positive for several performance-enhancing drugs and the fight was canceled. Jack went on to knock out undefeated late replacement Dervin Colina in the fourth round.

Jack has seemingly put Pascal and the light heavyweight division in his review mirror as he prepares to move up to cruiserweight in hopes of capturing his third world title in as many divisions.

Jack opens up to Zenger about the disappointment of not being able to avenge the Pascal loss, shoots down a potential bout against Andre Dirrell and talks about the Badou Jack Foundation.

Percy Crawford interviewed Badou Jack for Zenger.

Zenger: Before our last interview could appear, Jean Pascal tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, and your anticipated rematch with him was off the week of the fight. This seems to be the Badou Jack playbook where you just roll with the punches.

Jack: Yeah, I mean there have been so many bad things that have happened in my career, bad decisions, and bullshit, so it’s nothing new to me. And the same thing with drug testing happened before when I fought Lucian Bute.

Zenger: Your career seems to be a Hollywood producer’s dream, so maybe that’s the silver lining (laughing).

Jack: (Laughing). Right!

Zenger: You put a lot into landing that rematch. Obviously, you don’t want to fight a drug cheat, but in the same breath, that had to be devastating news.

Jack: It was really sad. First of all, they robbed me the first time, then I had to wait 18 months for the rematch. I was actually on my way up to cruiserweight before I was offered the fight with Pascal. Floyd [Mayweather] asked me if I could make the weight, and I said, “Sure!” I had a little time, four months, so I said, “Yeah!” I was up to 220 pounds and then I had to cut all that weight to fight at 175 and got robbed.

Floyd called me a couple of days after and said I had to fight him [Pascal] in April in LA. Then the pandemic happened, and then he wanted more money, excuses, excuses. Then the week before the fight, I was in the best shape of my life mentally and physically. I was so ready to stop him this time.

Zenger: It seems like you always felt that something wasn’t right about Pascal in terms of being a clean fighter.

Jack: Yes. Before the first fight, we asked for VADA [Voluntary Anit-Doping Association] testing, and there was no testing. We were begging for it. It didn’t happen. And then this time we asked from the beginning. It didn’t happen for the full camp, but it was the last five weeks. That was better than nothing.

Zenger: It served its purpose because it caught him. I’m sure you have moved on from any potential fight with Pascal. You have talked about moving up to cruiserweight for a long time. However, Andre Dirrell respectfully said he would like to test his skills against you at 175. Is that something you would entertain?

Jack: No, definitely not. He’s not in my plans. But you’re right, at least he was respectful. … At the stage where he’s at right now, he brings nothing to the table. He has no title, he’s ranked way below me, there is no money in a fight like that. I have nothing to gain, other than his name, but his name doesn’t mean nothing right now to me. He’s not a part of my plans. My plan is to become a three-division world champion. If it’s a crazy money fight, I will stay at 175, like a Canelo [Álvarez] fight or something. Other than that, he’s not a part of my plan.

Zenger: From light heavyweight [175 pound weight limit] to cruiserweight [200 pound limit] is probably the biggest gap in between weight divisions in boxing. How do you plan to properly put on the weight and grow into the division?

Jack: It takes time to put on real muscle. Also, I’m cutting a lot of weight to make 175. I was cutting at least 30 pounds. We’ll see. I will grow into the weight class. I’m about to be 38, I’m tired of cutting weight. Who says that cutting 30 pounds is better than gaining 30 pounds? Plus, I want to make history. I want to challenge these bigger guys. And stylistically I have an easier time with the bigger guys.

Zenger: Do you feel like the speed advantage that one would think you would have at cruiserweight will play a factor in your success in the division?

Jack: Yeah definitely. And I came from super middleweight. I’m not even the biggest light heavyweight. Canelo has conquered a lot of weight classes, Floyd did it, so there is no reason why I can’t try that. Just to be big and heavy, that’s easy. You can just eat and lift weights. It’s gotta be functional strength. I’m going to keep my speed, and it’s going to be fun.

Zenger: Given the time needed you would need to do everything you just mentioned of growing into your cruiserweight frame. When can we expect to see you make your official cruiserweight debut?

Jack: I’m not sure. I hope to be back before the end of the year. It might not be for the title in that fight, but never say never. I’m going to talk to my team and see what’s next.

Zenger: You always have so much more than boxing going on. You are very active in other countries with philanthropy work, and your foundation. Is that the perfect balance for you during your fighting downtime?

Jack: Yeah. Right now, during the pandemic, it’s been kind of slow with the foundation as far as visiting refugee camps and stuff. We still got a lot of stuff done though. My fight before last, we donated a lot to my foundation. I just came back from Dubai. That’s when I saw that Andre Dirrell had called me out.

Zenger: Tell me a bit more about the Badou Jack Foundation.

Jack: We are trying to make it one of the biggest foundations in the world, especially for refugee kids and orphans in those poor countries. The focus is mostly where my dad is from, West Africa, Gambia and the Middle East. We’re working with a Palestinian refugee camp, a Syrian refugee camp, and we’re going to start with foster kids here in the states, as well.

Zenger: You are an amazing man and fighter, Badou. Continue fighting the good fight, and I wish you the best of luck. Is there anything else you want to add?

Jack: Hopefully, I will have some good news soon. Thank you, Percy.

Edited by Judith Isacoff and Matthew B. Hall

WASHINGTON — Facebook-owned Instagram announced that new accounts of users under the age of 16 would be set to private by default to ensure the safety of young people. 

The update is one of the few new features rolled out by Instagram to make the application safer for everyone, especially minors.

“Creating an experience on Instagram that’s safe and private for young people, but also fun comes with competing challenges,” Instagram said in a statement on July 27. 

“We want them to easily make new friends and keep up with their family, but we don’t want them to deal with unwanted DMs or comments from strangers. We think private accounts are the right choice for young people, but we recognize some young creators might want to have public accounts to build a following.”

Users below the age of 16 (18 in some countries) will now have private accounts by default, and only approved followers can see posts and like or comment under private accounts.

Instagram will roll out new technology aimed at reducing unwanted contact from adults — like those who have already been blocked or reported by other teens — and it will change how advertisers can reach its teenage audience, as per a media report.

“For young people who already have a public account on Instagram, we will show them a notification highlighting the benefits of a private account and explaining how to change their privacy settings. We will still give young people the choice to switch to a public account or keep their current account public if they wish,” the company’s statement said.

The decision has been taken after detailed research carried out by Instagram. The research suggested that eight out of ten young people accepted the private default settings during sign-up. 

However, Instagram will not force teenagers to remain private. They can switch to public accounts at any time, including during sign-up, as per the media report. 

Instagram has also introduced an up-gradation for its multi-clip video ‘Reels. The social media app has now said that users can create 60 seconds videos on Reels. 

The recent update also adds functionality for a captions sticker on Reels, which transcribes audio to text, as per a media report. The caption sticker is currently available only in a handful of English-speaking countries.

Reels was introduced last year in August as “a new way to create and discover short, entertaining videos on Instagram.” It earlier supported Reels up to 30 seconds only, while its competitor TikTok recently expanded its limit to three minutes for all creators.

Announcing the news, Instagram posted a meme on its official Twitter handle on July 27 showing the progression of its Reels feature. However, Instagram did not reveal further details about the latest update. 

(With inputs from ANI)

Edited by Abinaya Vijayaraghavan and Praveen Pramod Tewari