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MOSCOW -- Russian middleweight Dmitry Chudinov successfully defended his WBA interim title Saturday, stopping Mehdi Bouadla in three rounds. In front of a strongly nationalist crowd at a motorbike festival in the Russian-speaking Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia in March, Chudinov knocked down his French opponent in every round before the referee stopped the bout. Chudinov stays unbeaten with 14 wins and two draws, while Bouadla drops to a 30-6 career record. The fight was part of a festival in Sevastopol organized by the Night Wolves, a Russian biker group with whom Russian President Vladimir Putin has ridden in the past. Kansas City Royals Gear . -- Ryan Gropp scored in overtime as the Seattle Thunderbirds shut out the Spokane Chiefs 1-0 in Western Hockey League play Tuesday. Royals Jerseys 2020 . 5 Trade Deadline is drawing closer and teams will be deciding on whether to buy or sell. https://www.cheaproyals.com/ . -- The Oakland Raiders added a veteran presence to their young receiving group by signing free agent James Jones to a three-year contract Monday. Custom Kansas City Royals Jerseys .com) - The collective hearts of Chicago Bulls fans sank on Friday night when Derrick Rose went down with a leg injury against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Kansas City Royals Shirts .com) - Delon Wright scored 17 points and No.PITTSFORD, N.Y. - After a shaky start to training camp, Buffalo Bills quarterback EJ Manuel has had a renewed confidence on the practice field in recent days. Buffalo is looking to keep that momentum on its side in its first real test of the preseason when the Bills play the New York Giants in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, on Sunday. "Obviously we want to go out there and put out a great product," Manuel said. "Its national TV. Its the kickoff of the NFL season so obviously we want to start off with a bang." Most of the attention has been on Manuel at Buffalos training camp in suburban Rochester. The Bills have surrounded the second-year quarterback with an assortment of playmaking options, including newcomers Sammy Watkins and Mike Williams at wide receiver and incumbents C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson at running back. With an assortment of talent at the skill positions, the pressure is on the former first-round pick to step up and lead the Bills into the post-season for the first time since 1999. As expected, the results have been mixed two weeks into training camp. Watkins, the dynamic rookie chosen fourth overall after Buffalo traded up in the draft, has been electric. After injury-filled seasons one year ago, Spiller and Jackson are healthy and running well. But Manuels first week on the practice field was littered with incompletions, slow reads in the pocket and questionable decision-making. Manuel has made progress throughout Buffalos second week of camp. On Wednesday, he appeared to have more command in the pocket and connected with second-year receiver Robert Woods for a pair of impressive touchdowns in the red zone. He also connected with receiver Chris Hogan on a decisive throw in a tight window down the middle of the field. On Thursday, he was aggressivee early in the practice session and found Watkins for a 99-yard touchdown down the left sideline.dddddddddddd "We have been making strides," Manuel said. "Even in the dog days of last week, I felt like we were still making strides to get to this point. Its not always going to be perfect. The O-line has been doing a great job. Our communication has really picked up. I think thats just allowing us quarterbacks to have time to throw the ball downfield to our receivers." After displaying a conservative nature on the field as a rookie, Manuels aggressiveness in recent days has been encouraging. The quarterback said that he has watched film of top quarterbacks around the league — including Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Russell Wilson and Cam Newton — and gained more of an appreciation for taking chances down the field. "I think a lot of the throws that Ive started to make this year, at least attempted to make, I wasnt doing it last year," Manuel said. "I think instead of being more cautious ... our receivers, they want to make plays. They want the opportunity to make a big catch. I think watching a guy like Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees, they cut it loose. They allow their receivers to go out and make a play and earn their money. I think thats what Ive started to do." Manuel and the Bills still have a long way to go, but the quarterback feels that their progress is heading in the right direction. On Sunday, they get their first chance to prove it. "I think were progressing along the timeline that we want to be progressing," Manuel said. "Were still four weeks away from the opener in the regular season, so as long as we continue to put a brick in each day and get better and better, I think well be more than ready to go." ' ' '