Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany will leave the club this summer, having secured an historic domestic treble, to become player-manager of Belgian club Anderlecht.

Kompany, 33, is City's longest-serving player, having joined in August 2008, but his contract runs out at the end of the season -- and though ESPN FC had been told that there was a willingness from both the club and the player to agree a new deal, he revealed he would be leaving after the FA Cup final win over Watford.

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Kompany has been blighted with injury problems in recent years but started five of City's last six Premier League matches to help them win the title, including scoring a stunning winner against Leicester in the penultimate game.

"As overwhelming as it is, the time has come for me to go," he said in a post on Facebook. "And what a season to bow out. I feel nothing but gratefulness. I am grateful to all those who supported me on a special journey, at a very special club. I remember the first day, as clear as I see the last. I remember the boundless kindness I received from the people of Manchester.

"I will never forget how all Man City supporters remained loyal to me in good times and especially bad times. Against the odds you have always backed me and inspired me to never give up.

"Sheikh Mansour changed my life and that of all the City fans around the world, for that I am forever grateful. A blue nation has arisen and challenged the established order of things, I find that awesome.

"I cherish the counsel and leadership of a good human being, Khaldoon Al Mubarak. Man City could not be in better hands."

In a second post later on Sunday, Kompany revealed his next move: "For the next 3 years, I will take up the role of Player-Manager of RSC Anderlecht ... I have decided to take up the challenge at RSC Anderlecht. Player-Manager. I want to share my knowledge with the next purple generations. With that, I will also put a bit of Manchester in the heart of Belgium."

Paying tribute to Kompany, chairman Al Mubarak added on the club website: "There have been many important contributors to Manchester City's renaissance, but arguably none are more important than Vincent Kompany. "He defines the essence of the club. For a decade he has been the lifeblood, the soul, and beating heart of a supremely talented squad.

"A booming voice in the dressing room yet a quiet and measured ambassador off it, Vincent can be as proud of himself as we are of him. "I am not sure he expected to lift the Premier League trophy on four occasions during his captaincy but he will be remembered and revered whenever this period of unprecedented City success is spoken about by future generations.

"His leadership, intelligence and determination have seen him adapt brilliantly to playing under four different managers and overcome some debilitating injuries. He is a special character who has answered every demand the club has made of him.

"We now look forward to celebrating his testimonial match in September so that we can properly celebrate his City contribution. He will always be part of the City family."

Kompany spent 11 years at Man City, he played in 360 games and scored 20 goals. During that time he won four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups and two Community Shields.

Chris Wondolowski's pursuit of Landon Donovan's record for the most goals in MLS regular-season history (145) proved to be a metaphor for his entire career.

You knew the San Jose Earthquakes forward was there, you could sense his presence. But then your thoughts drifted elsewhere, dazzled perhaps by the record-breaking exploits of Atlanta United's Josef Martinez or Zlatan Ibrahimovic's latest golazo for the LA Galaxy. At which point, Wondolowski would remind you just how great he has been.

So it proved on Saturday afternoon against the Chicago Fire, as Wondolowski scored four times -- the first four-goal game of his career -- to break Donovan's record. He did it with a bit of stealth and plenty of guile, remaining what he has been throughout his career: MLS' phantom menace.

First, in the 21st minute, Wondolowski latched onto Shea Salinas' low, driven cross to stab home at the far post to equal Donovan's mark of 145. Twenty seven minutes later, he moved past Donovan and into sole position atop the MLS goal-scoring summit, first on the scene to pounce on an error from Fire goalkeeper David Ousted in vintage Wondo fashion. With the record now his, he wasted no time adding to it, scoring in quick succession in both the 74th and 76th minutes to bring his total to 148.

Talk to those who played with Wondolowski and against him and there is immense respect for what he has achieved. But even as he plays in his 16th season, through 338 league games and now a record 148 regular-season goals, there is also a touch of bewilderment. He isn't speedy like former Seattle Sounders forward Obafemi Martins nor is he powerful in the air like the Colorado Rapids' Kei Kamara. He has made a career out of lulling opponents to sleep, then punishing them.

Houston Dynamo defender A.J. DeLaGarza said it best: "When you're marking Wondolowski, he's still open."

So, how is it that a player with little in the way of obvious physical gifts has been able to so flummox opposition defenses? Like most forwards, Wondolowski is fiercely competitive. The desire to score goals is always there.

"Every single time he scores, he celebrates it like it's his first one," said Sporting Kansas City's Graham Zusi. "And he is just continuously hungry for goals."

But the key component to Wondolowski's game is continual movement that never allows him to be marked easily. It was this trait that former Chelsea defender John Terry described as "fantastic" after playing against Wondolowski in the 2012 MLS All-Star Game, a match in which the Quakes forward scored.

"Wondolowski's movement was always about finding a different space, finding an angle," said ESPN analyst and former Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Kasey Keller. "A defender gets caught ball-watching and he's not there anymore."

What has made Wondolowski's movement so special is that there's a "when" to accompany the "what," revealing an attuned soccer brain.

"I think the thing that really was and has been the cornerstone of his career is the timing of his runs in the box," said former Real Salt Lake and Portland Timbers defender Nat Borchers about Wondolowski. "It was more that he was going to out-think you, that was the frustrating thing."

Seattle midfielder Cristian Roldan added with a smile, "[Wondolowski] is always aware of where the space is and always on your back shoulder. He's a pest and sometimes it's really frustrating playing against him."

To be clear, there are athletic aspects to Wondolowski's skill set. He remains a player, even at age 36, who is plenty mobile in terms of getting around the field. He also possesses the kind of short burst to get away from defenders, which helps him to turn tight spaces in the box into bigger ones.

"I think people look at Wondo, there's something -- I don't want to say unathletic -- very untraditional about the way he moves on a soccer field," said RSL GM Craig Waibel, who played with and against Wondolowski in San Jose and Houston. "He's so fluid that I think it was deceptive."

His endurance also borders on the legendary. Waibel recalled how when the two were with the Dynamo, Wondolowski would follow up a practice in Houston's sapping humidity with another 20 minutes of finishing work with then-assistant John Spencer. He would recover in plenty of time to do it again the next day. That dedication paid off on the field -- both in terms of stamina and finishing; 42.3 percent of his shots have hit the target in the past seven seasons, as compared with the league average of 35.4 percent -- and was noticed by opponents such as Sporting Kansas City defender Matt Besler.

"You may be able to keep up with Wondolowski for the first half or the first 60 minutes, but over the course of the 90 minutes, I'd be interested to know when he scored goals in games and when his percentage of goals has come in the last 15 or 20 minutes," he said. "I'd say a big factor in that is just his willingness to run throughout the game. He really wears down opposing defenders."

Besler's instincts are correct. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, broken into 15-minute intervals, Wondolowski scored a higher percentage of his goals in the second half of games during his career than the league average.

From minute 46 to 60, Wondolowski scored 17.5 percent of his goals, as compared to 16.8 percent for MLS leaguewide. From minute 61 to 75, the percentages were 21.0 percent to 17.1 percent for MLS. From minute 76 to 90, Wondolowski scored 23.1 percent of his goals, as compared to the league average of 22.4 percent.

Wondolowski is also the ultimate optimist and opportunist. There is simply no such thing as a low-percentage chance.

"As a forward, you talk about certain things; always finishing your run, just in case the ball misses everybody and goes all the way through to the back post," Besler said. "Or you follow up the shot just in case the goalkeeper saves it for a rebound.

"Wondo is the only guy that I've played against that does that 100 percent of the time. If there's a shot, I'll put my house on it that Wondo is going to be there following it up. And nine times out of 10, the goalkeeper saves it and nobody recognizes it. But the one time that the goalkeeper doesn't save it or there's a deflection or whatever happens, he's in that spot. And 10 times out of 10, he makes that run just in case.

So, after all of these years and all of these goals, Wondolowski has now made history. Yet there is still a sense that he is a tad underappreciated, at least outside the San Francisco Bay Area. Sure, he won the MVP in 2012, the same season he became what was then MLS' single-season joint-record scorer, and was a Best XI selection for three straight seasons starting in 2010. But his miss against Belgium in the round of 16 of the 2014 World Cup still weighs heavy, even as Wondolowski soldiered on in its aftermath. The fact that the Quakes have made the playoffs just three times since he returned to San Jose in 2009 hasn't helped, either. Then there is his style of play.

"His game is hard to describe," Besler said. "That's probably why he's still somehow underrated. But to me, scoring goals is a skill; it's just like passing or shooting or running or dribbling. He has this instinct to score, and I don't think enough people rate that and view that as a skill. Some people might look at it and just assume it's hard work or at times luck or whatever reason it is. But in my mind, it's a skill, and he has mastered being able to sniff out a goal. He has this unique ability to figure out where the ball is going to drop before anybody else."

Longevity and consistency can result in someone being taken for granted. The Quakes forward has reached double-digit goals nine seasons in a row -- a remarkable stretch. Then there is his personality. While Wondolowski will let out a trademark roar when he scores, the rest of the time he operates in an understated way. And as bigger names such as Ibrahimovic have joined the league, Wondolowski has been eclipsed.

"People will put asterisks by it," said Waibel about Wondolowski breaking the record. "It's because he's not the big, flashy, camera-hungry guy, he's not the self-promoting goal scorer. ... He's almost an antithesis of what goal scorers are in terms of personality."

But numbers matter most of all, and on that count, Wondolowski is now standing alone atop the MLS goal-scoring heap with 148.

Since the start of 2018, India have taken more wickets than any other team in ODI cricket, at a better average than any other Full Member team barring Afghanistan. These are highly encouraging numbers for a team heading into a World Cup, and Mohammed Shami is proud of being part of an attack that is considered among the best in the world.

Fast bowlers Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are key components of India's attack, and their USP, according to Shami, is their ability to bowl skillfully at high pace.

"In the last 20 or 30 years, if you look back at the history of Indian cricket, it has always been dominated by the batsmen. You cannot really blame the bowlers because the wickets that were prepared in India were also not helpful towards the bowlers," Shami told IANS. "Things have started improving in the last five to seven years and, to be honest, it has been a process and not something that has happened overnight. We have been bowling as a unit and that helps.

"The best part is that along with variety, we have an attack that can bowl fast. Having skills and pace together is the USP of this side as that somewhere increases the confidence of the attack. To be honest, it is like a dream that has come true and I feel very proud that today people talk about our bowling unit as one of the best - a thing that wasn't heard much, but is now called our strength."

Shami was the leader of India's pace attack at the 2015 World Cup, picking up 17 wickets in the tournament at an average of 17.29. After that, however, injuries and the emergence of new talent limited his white-ball opportunities even as he remained a vital member of India's Test attack. Between India's semifinal exit in Sydney and the end of 2018, Shami only played five ODIs.

Since the start of this year, however, he has been India's most incisive new-ball operator in ODIs, and has picked up 19 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 26.42.

"I hadn't been playing white-ball cricket for a while but in the series against Australia, I gained in confidence and just looked to keep that going even in the IPL," he said. "Also, playing consistently for KXIP (Kings XI Punjab) helped me. Getting to play day-in day-out helps you perform and get the right momentum.

"I was just waiting for an opportunity as I had a good record in white-ball cricket. Waited for almost two years and I had it in mind that when I did get the chance, I will show what I could do. Always knew that I can adapt to the shorter format and bowl the line and length required to succeed."

West Indies have named allrounders Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo in their 10-man list of reserve players for the upcoming World Cup.

Bravo, who "officially retired" from international cricket in October last year, hasn't played for West Indies in any format since September 2016, and hasn't played an ODI since October 2014. Pollard last played an ODI in October 2016. Both players were involved in the IPL final on May 12, with Pollard helping Mumbai Indians clinch a record fourth title.

The official 15-member World Cup squad is undergoing a training camp in Southampton from May 19 to 23. Two reserve players will also be part of the camp. Top-order batsman Sunil Ambris, who impressed during the recent ODI tri-series in Ireland, will cover for Evin Lewis, who has just recovered from a viral illness, and left-arm seamer Raymon Reifer will help the bowling unit manage its workload.

The camp also includes an additional warm-up fixture against Australia, on May 22, at the Rose Bowl.

The other six reserves are batsmen John Campbell and Jonathan Carter, spin-bowling allrounders Roston Chase and Khary Pierre, wicketkeeper-batsman Shane Dowrich, and seam-bowling allrounder Keemo Paul.

CWI CEO Johnny Grave said the training camp and extra warm-up game had been scheduled with a view to helping the squad acclimatise better to conditions in England, especially the seven members of the squad who were part of the IPL and as a result missed the Ireland tri-series.

"We are very grateful to Hampshire CCC for agreeing to host us at the Ageas Bowl and to Cricket Australia for agreeing the additional warm-up game," Grave said. "Due to the commitments and promises made, to both our players and the BCCI, this is the first time that our entire World Cup squad can get together since the IPL finished. We are confident that these additional five days of training and the extra warm-up game will mean that our players will be ready to perform at their best in our opening match against Pakistan on the 31st May."

Speaking about the reserves, Robert Haynes, the interim chairman of selectors, said: "The choice of players in the reserve list is to really cover our bases and ensure we have a good balance in the pool of players that can be selected if replacements are required. We think the skill-set in this pool is strong, with a good blend of experience and upcoming young players who can be ready to contribute if and when required."

West Indies begin their World Cup campaign on May 31, when they face Pakistan at Trent Bridge.

West Indies World Cup squad: Jason Holder (capt), Chris Gayle, Kemar Roach, Darren Bravo, Andre Russell, Shai Hope (wk), Sheldon Cottrell, Evin Lewis, Shannon Gabriel, Carlos Brathwaite, Ashley Nurse, Shimron Hetmyer, Fabian Allen, Oshane Thomas, Nicholas Pooran

Reserve players: Sunil Ambris, Dwayne Bravo, John Campbell, Jonathan Carter, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Keemo Paul, Khary Pierre, Raymon Reifer, Kieron Pollard

Toss England chose to bat Pakistan

England have won the toss and, in a deviation from the rest of the series, decided to bat first at Headingley. Eoin Morgan, back from his one-match suspension for slow over rate, said it was an excellent wicket to bat on, and a good opportunity for the batsmen to set a target.

With the series sealed, England have rung the changes, with Jason Roy, Joe Denly, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood all rested, while David Willey and Chris Woakes return to the side.

Pakistan, looking to avoid their 11th defeat in completed ODIs on the trot, were dealt a blow after it emerged Imam-ul-Haq would not be fit to take his place in the XI, giving Abid Ali his first game of the series. Junaid Khan also misses out after a difficult outing in Nottingham, where he went for 85 and found boundary fielding a particular challenge. Shaheen Afridi takes his place.

This ODI is the final match for both teams ahead of the World Cup.

England 1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 James Vince, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Jos Buttler (wk) 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Tom Curran, 10 Chris Woakes, 10 David Willey, 11 Adil Rashid

Pakistan 1 Abid Ali, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Shoaib Malik, 5 Sarfaraz Ahmed (capt&wk), 6 Mohammad Hafeez, 7 Asif Ali, 8 Imad Wasim, 9 Hasan Ali, 10 Mohammad Hasnain, 11 Shaheen Afridi.

Afghanistan opted to bowl in the first of two ODIs against Ireland in Belfast, their tune-up series before they get to the 2019 World Cup. Having undergone a camp in South Africa and played against Scotland, Afghanistan have arrived in Ireland with a full-strength squad.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who has recovered from a finger injury sustained in the IPL, will be the third spinner in their XI alongside Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi. Rashid and Nabi, too, missed the Scotland game because of their commitments with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL.

This is Afghanistan's second ODI following their sudden captaincy switch that had Gulbadin Naib replacing Asghar Afghan at the helm.

As for Ireland, they didn't make the final of their home tri-series against Bangladesh and West Indies, but have two more opportunities to showcase their abilities and, perhaps, even topple a World Cup-bound side.

Ireland made two changes. Tim Murtagh and Andy McBrine replaced Barry McCarthy and the injured Josh Little. This meant they featured two spinners, with McBrine joining the experienced George Dockrell.

Ireland: 1 Paul Stirling, 2 James McCollum, 3 Andrew Balbirnie, 4 William Porterfield (capt), 5 Kevin O'Brien, 6 Mark Adair, 7 Gary Wilson (wk), 8 George Dockrell, 9 Tim Murtagh, 10 Boyd Rankin, 11 Andy McBrine

Afghanistan: 1 Mohammad Shahzad (wk), 2 Hazratullah Zazai, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Hashmatullah Shahidi, 5 Asghar Afghan, 6 Gulbadin Naib (capt), 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Dawlat Zadran, 10 Aftab Alam, 11 Mujeeb Ur Rahman

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

PHILADELPHIA -- Eagles defensive end Chris Long, the reigning Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, is calling it a career after 11 seasons.

Long made the announcement Saturday night on social media, sharing a photo of a red cup in his hand and the mountains in the distance.

The Eagles released a statement congratulating Long, saying, in part, "He will always be part of the Eagles family."

"There aren't many players who can say they won back-to-back Super Bowls and the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year award," the Eagles said. "There's no question that his work ethic combined with his unique talent made him into one of the greatest of this era's professional athletes. We're very thankful Chris chose to play for the Philadelphia Eagles."

Cheers. Been a hell of a journey. Eleven years and I can honestly say I put my soul into every minute of it. Highs and lows. I've seen them both and I appreciate the perspective. Gratitude and love to those who lifted me up. pic.twitter.com/Ap8zi73Ifl

— Chris Long (@JOEL9ONE) May 19, 2019

Long, 34, spent much of the offseason weighing whether to retire or play another season. He made it clear that his role would need to be right if he were to return for a 12th NFL season.

Long wanted ample opportunity to get after the quarterback. With Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett slated to be the Eagles' starters and defensive tackle Malik Jackson likely to stay on the field on third down, Long's playing time in pass-rushing situations would have been more limited than he'd like.

"It's kind of like at the amusement park, when they click that seat belt on, the roller coaster going -- you can't get out. There's no quitting," Long told ESPN earlier this offseason. "Some guys might think differently, but when you're in, you're in, so I want to make sure I'm in. I think most players need to do that, and I'm just honest about it. Maybe some guys just aren't telling the truth. But it's all about the situation for me. I know I can still play. I think I played well, especially in the second half of the year this year, once I got healthy and I got more snaps, so we'll see."

Long was a part of two Super Bowl championship teams in back-to-back seasons -- with the New England Patriots in 2016 and then the Eagles in 2017, helping deliver Philadelphia its first Lombardi Trophy.

Selected second overall by St. Louis in the 2008 NFL draft, he spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Rams before being released in 2016 as injuries limited his production. His 6.5 sacks this past season were his most since 2013.

The son of NFL legend Howie Long, he posted 70 career sacks and 85 tackles for loss over his career.

For all of his on-field success, Long's legacy largely will be defined by the way he used his platform to maximize his humanitarian efforts. Through his organization, Waterboys, he has helped provide more than 200,000 people with clean water in Africa, building close to 60 water wells in Tanzania.

Long donated his entire 2017 salary to educational efforts in Virginia and a quarter of his 2018 salary to help get books into the hands of kids in underserved neighborhoods.

This offseason, he was named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, an award that recognizes a player for excellence on and off the field.

"I think everybody knows that they're not as good of a person as [portrayed]; I think if you're honest with yourself, everybody has a lot of work to do," he said. "It's always en vogue to say, 'Man, I'm humbled,' but I mean it. There are things that I'm constantly working on.

"Listen, are we the most productive foundation off the field in an NFL locker room? I believe that. I believe our productivity as a foundation and my productivity off the field is really solid. I just think if the award is meant to be given to a clean-cut guy who never screws up or doesn't have much to work on -- I'm a work in progress and anybody who knows me would tell you that. I try to do the right thing and sometimes you're going to fall short. I was happy to accept the award on behalf of everybody who has been a part of it. I just think it's a hell of an honor, it's a hell of an award for one person to accept and I don't think it's realistic, but I'm happy to accept it."

NEW YORK -- In the acrimonious lead-up to heavyweight world titleholder Deontay Wilder's defense against mandatory challenger Dominic Breazeale, Wilder spent a lot of time talking about how much he wanted to hurt him.

Wilder even accentuated that he could legally kill his opponent in the ring, saying a few days before their fight on Saturday night that boxing "is the only sport where you can kill a man and get paid for it at the same time. It's legal. So why not use my right to do so?"

While Wilder didn't cause that kind of damage, he nonetheless obliterated Breazeale with a massive right hand for a violent first-round knockout victory before an announced crowd of 13,181 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Wilder, one of the great punchers of all time, retained his world title for the ninth time as he scored one of the most spectacular knockouts in a career filled with them. It will undoubtedly be a candidate for knockout of the year.

"Everything just came out of me tonight," Wilder said. "I know it's been a big build-up. There's been a lot of animosity and a lot of words that were said, and it just came out of me tonight. That's what makes boxing so great."

In retaining his title for the ninth consecutive time, Wilder tied Muhammad Ali (during his first title reign), Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson (in his first reign) and Lennox Lewis (in his second reign) on the all-time heavyweight list. The all-time record for any division is 25 by Joe Louis. Other heavyweights who are still ahead of Wilder are Larry Holmes (20), Wladimir Klitschko (18 in his second reign), Vitali Klitschko (11 in his second reign), Tommy Burns (11) and Ali (10 in his second reign).

The fight started with a bang and ended quickly after that.

A Wilder right hand hurt fellow 6-foot-7 giant Breazeale early, and then he got another through that sent Breazeale toward the ropes. Breazeale shook his head and smiled as if the punch did not hurt him, but it was clear it had. Wilder was all over him and landing punches.

"I saw him slow up a little bit. When I hit him with the right hand the first time, his body language changed," Wilder said. "When you've been in with so many guys, you can recognize body language."

Breazeale mounted a short rally in which he also landed a couple of right hands -- the only two punches he landed of his 10 attempts in the fight, according to CompuBox -- one of which knocked Wilder off balance, but Wilder was undeterred. He kept swinging in what was turning into a slugfest.

It is not wise for anyone to bang with a man as powerful as Wilder, who then unleashed a monstrous right hand that connected clean on the chin and dropped Breazeale hard on his back spread eagle. Breazeale attempted to get to his feet, but referee Harvey Dock counted him out at 2 minutes, 17 seconds.

Wilder connected with nine of 35 shots (26 percent), but there was only one that really counted.

"I think the ref stopped it a little early because I could hear him saying seven and eight, but that's boxing," said Breazeale, whose three-fight winning streak came to a thudding end. "He did his job and kept us safe for our next fight. I got on my feet and had my legs under me. It's the heavyweight division, so there's going to be big shots from guys with power.

"This was a situation where he landed the big right hand before I did. I thought I was going to come on in the later rounds. I'll be back and go for the heavyweight title again."

The intense animosity between Wilder and (41-0-1, 40 KOs), 33, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Breazeale (20-2, 18 KOs), 33, of Eastvale, California, stemmed from an incident in February 2017, when Wilder retained his title and Breazeale won on the undercard in Birmingham, Alabama. Later that night, there was a confrontation between the fighters and their teams at the fight hotel, and Breazeale alleged that Wilder's younger brother, Marsellos, had punched him in the head from behind.

After the fight on Saturday, however, the 223¼-pound Wilder, who was outweighed by 32 pounds against the 255¼-pound Breazeale, said the bad blood had been laid to rest.

"I just told Breazeale I love him, and, of course, I want to see him go home to his family," Wilder said. "I know we say some things, but when you can fight a man and then you can hug him and kiss him, I wish the world was like that. We shake hands, and we live to see another day, and that's what it's all about."

Then attention turned to the future. The biggest fight in the sport would be Wilder against three-belt titleholder Anthony Joshua (22-0, 21 KOs), the British star who is due to make his United States debut against Andy Ruiz Jr. on June 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York. In June 2016, Breazeale got his first shot at a world title against Joshua, who dominated but needed seven rounds to knock him out.

There have been various attempts to make a Wilder-Joshua fight, but they have failed with the boxers ending on different television platforms and arguing about various aspects of a deal.

There is also the matter of a rematch with lineal champion Tyson Fury (27-0-1, 19 KOs), of England, whom Wilder knocked down twice in a split draw in their classic fight in December. The rematch was agreed to and about to be signed when Fury changed course and took a co-promotional deal with Top Rank to move to ESPN, where he will debut on ESPN+ against Tom Schwarz on June 15 in Las Vegas.

Wilder would have liked that rematch but said he understood Fury's decision and insisted fans will eventually get to see those fights even if Wilder's next bout is likely to be either a rematch with Luis "King Kong" Ortiz -- whom he knocked out in the 10th round 14 months ago in a sensational slugfest, also at Barclays Center -- or a fight with New York-based Polish contender Adam Kownacki.

"I understand what Tyson Fury did," Wilder said. "When you get dropped on the canvas like that, I understand you have to get yourself back together. But the rematch will happen, like all these other fights will happen. The great thing is all these fights are in discussion. The big fights will happen. I just want you to have patience.

"You know what the saying is -- good things come to those who wait."