Deontay Wilder isn't the only man looking for a rematch against boxing's Heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury.
Immediately following Fury's dominant, seventh round victory over Wilder on Saturday, WWE Intercontinental champion Braun Strowman took to twitter to offer his congratulations and issue a challenge for his IC title.
Fury and Strowman first got into it during SmackDown Live's premiere episode on FOX in early October which led to an official match later that month at the "Crown Jewel" event in Saudi Arabia. Fury "knocked out" Strowman for a count out victory during that bout, but that surely won't be the last time we see Fury in a WWE ring.
Prior to Fury-Wilder II, reports surfaced that WWE was planning to include Fury on the Wrestlemania 36 card if he were victorious. With that box officially checked off, and Strowman quickly laying the groundwork for their rematch, it shouldn't surprise anyone if The Gypsy King at least makes an appearance at Raymond James Stadium on April 5th.
Strowman has been feuding with former IC champion Shinsuke Nakamura and his posse as of late, which seems to suggest that they'll have a big payoff at Wrestlemania. However, if Vince McMahon and the WWE have an opportunity to pit The Monster Among Men against boxing's Heavyweight champion at their biggest show of the year, you know they'll do everything in their power to cash in on the momentum.
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The Undertaker Rumored To Appear At WWE Super ShowDown Event
The Undertaker is reportedly en route to Saudi Arabia for Thursday's Super ShowDown event, possibly to begin his feud with AJ Styles.
A handful of WWE superstars are headed to Saudi Arabia this week for another "Super ShowDown" event, including The Undertaker, despite the fact that he is not scheduled for a match. According to multiple reports (Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer and Post Wrestling’s John Pollock), it is believed that The Deadman will make an appearance during the show, though it remains to be seen in what capacity.
News of Undertaker travelling to Riyadh comes just days after reports of his return for the March 9th edition of Monday Night Raw in order to set up his Wrestlemania 36 feud with AJ Styles. Both men will be at the Mohammed Abdu Arena this week, so it's certainly possible that they start the build sooner than originally expected.
The Undertaker's most recent match came at the Extreme Rules PPV in July of 2019, where he partnered up with one of his former Wrestlemania opponents, Roman Reigns, to defeat Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre in a tag team match. He also made a brief appearance on the September 10th edition of SmackDown and wound up choke slamming Sami Zayn to hell for interrupting his in-ring promo.
In addition to his rumored Wrestlemania 36 match with AJ Styles, reports suggest that the 54-year old legend will also be featured as part of the Survivor Series PPV, an event which will mark the 30th anniversary of his debut with the company.
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Warriors’ Steph Curry Return Date Announced
Two-time NBA MVP Steph Curry is officially scheduled to make his return on Sunday, March 1st against the Washington Wizards.
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is officially scheduled to make his return this Sunday, March 1st when the Warriors host the Washington Wizards at the Chase Center. Curry has not played since he suffered a broken left hand during the team's fourth game of the season back on October 30th.
There were rumblings that the two-time MVP could miss the entire season, in an effort to help Golden State secure one of the top draft picks, but he has always been targeting a return on March 1st. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, that will indeed be the case.
As it stands, the Golden State Warriors have the worst record in the NBA at 12-45, which is four games behind the league's next worst team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Even with Curry returning for the final 21 games, the Warriors will still have a strong chance of finishing among the bottom three teams in the league, which would give them a 52.1% chance of securing a Top 4 pick and a 14% chance of landing the No. 1 overall selection.
With than in mind, Warriors coach Steve Kerr recently explained why it's just as important for Curry to get back on the court alongside his young teammates, specifically the newly acquired Andrew Wiggins. Says Kerr, according to ESPN's Nick Friedell:
"It will be good for our young guys to feel what it’s like to play with him and vice versa. Steph needs to get to know these guys, too … it’s a big part of the final third of the season is everybody playing together, acclimating together, with the trade for Andrew [Wiggins], the young guys, Steph coming back, these games matter.”
For his career, the three-time NBA champ boasts career averages of 23.5 points, 6.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game.
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Ben Simmons’ Back Injury Receives New Diagnosis: Report
Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons is crucial to the success of his team but a back injury has kept him out of the lineup.
Ben Simmons has consistently been one of the best players on the Philadelphia 76ers over the last few seasons. While he has struggled with his jump shot, Simmons has become a beast around the rim and is almost impossible to move out of the paint. Having said that, the Sixers were in panic mode this morning as it was revealed that his back injury might be worse than expected. After undergoing some tests today, it was revealed that Simmons could be out for the foreseeable future.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Simmons has a nerve impingement in his lower back. This makes it much harder to move and in his current state, Simmons wouldn't even be able to think about playing. Instead, Simmons will be re-evaluated in two weeks and by then, doctors will have a better sense of when he can return.
This is horrible news for the Philadelphia 76ers who were just getting out of a terrible slump. Simmons is critical to their success and now, they will have to completely lean on Joel Embiid who has been inconsistent at times, this season. While the Sixers are still a playoff team, if they don't get Simmons back soon, their chances could be greatly affected.
Stay tuned for updates on Simmons as we will be sure to bring them to you.
DeMarcus Cousins’ Lakers Role Explained By Frank Vogel
DeMarcus Cousins was recently waived by the Los Angeles Lakers.
DeMarcus Cousins had a ton of promise heading into this NBA season. The Los Angeles Lakers picked him up on a bargain in free agency although unfortunately, he tore his ACL and obliterated his chances of getting on the court this season. Recently, Cousins was released by the Lakers and the team immediately replaced him by signing Markieff Morris. It remains to be seen what Cousins' future in the NBA entails, although the Lakers seem to be content with keeping him around.
Yesterday, it was reported that Cousins may sign with the Lakers next season and now, it appears as though he will be sticking around the Lakers facilities. While speaking to Lakers reporter Mike Trudell, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel admitted that Cousins will be rehabbing with the team and is "part of the family."
With this in mind, Cousins should remain cautiously optimistic about his future. It's clear that he's a great player but injuries have kept him from shining. If he were to play for the Lakers next season, there would be no doubts when it comes to their bility as a championship team, especially if Anthony Davis resigns.
Stay tuned for updates regarding Cousins as we will be sure to bring them to you.
LeBron James Reacts To Kobe Bryant Memorial & Vanessa’s Speech
LeBron James spoke out about Kobe Bryant's memorial and how Vanessa Bryant delivered a beautiful eulogy.
LeBron James looked up to Kobe Bryant and when the basketball player passed away alongside his daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash, LeBron was devastated. Kobe Bryant meant a lot to millions of people around the world and his death is still surreal to many. Yesterday, Kobe and Gianna Bryant were given a public memorial at the Staples Center which was attended by thousands of people. Numerous speeches were given throughout the event, including from Vanessa Bryant who offered a beautiful eulogy of her husband and daughter.
Vanessa's speech has been lauded for its strength and the way in which it was able to move people. Today, LeBron James was asked about the event and what he thought about all of it. While he wouldn't confirm whether or not he attended, LeBron did admit that yesterday was very hard for him. He also made sure to praise Vanessa for her words.
The Los Angeles Lakers have done various tributes for Kobe since his passing and with the playoffs on the horizon, there will surely be even more on the way. Kobe is one of the most beloved basketball players of all time and fans are still reeling over the loss of someone who still had so much to give to the world.
Beyonce Respectfully Changes Song Lyrics During Kobe Bryant Memorial: Watch
Beyonce changes a couple questionable lyrics on “XO” while performing at Kobe’s memorial.
Out of respect for Vanessa Bryant and her family, Beyoncé respectfully changed the lyrics to “one of Kobe’s favorite songs” during the memorial that was held Monday in honor of the late Laker great and his young daughter, Gianna.
Beyonce opened the memorial with a epic performance of a couple of Kobe’s favorite songs, “Halo” & “XO,” the latter of which saw Queen Bey changing up some lyrics out of respect. Swapping the line “and I’m crashing into you” with “and I’m laughing into you” and changing “you kill me boy XO” to “just kiss me boy XO,” Beyoncé respectfully swapped out the inappropriate & ill-timed lyrics and delivered another classic performance backed by an orchestra and chorus. It’s pretty obvious as for why she chose to change the lyrics too with trigger words like “crashing” & “kill me,” but it’s just another example of Bey being the GOAT.
Kevork Djansezian/ Getty Images (Kobe’s Memorial)
“I’m here because I love Kobe and this was one of his favorite songs, so I want to start that over, but I want us to do it all together and I want you to sing it so loud they hear your love,” Beyonce said before performing her records. After transitioning into a powerful rendition of “Halo,” the superstar finished with the added line, “He will be your, she will be your halo,” a reference to Kobe and Gianna.
Check out the performance (below) and sound off in the comments. RIP Kobe & Gigi.
Browns QB Baker Mayfield Accused Of Cheating On Wife
Ohio woman alleges that she hooked up with Baker Mayfield in a parking lot one month after he got married.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield is accused of cheating on his wife with a 20-year old Ohio woman, who claims she hooked up with the newly married man in the parking lot of a Cheesecake Factory. Kacie Dingess alleges that she first caught Mayfield’s attention when she sent him a Snapchat video from a preseason tailgate party back in August, a month after Baker and Emily Mayfield tied the knot.
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During an interview with Cleveland radio show “Rover’s Morning Glory” earlier this month, Dingess described in detail how she and Mayfield exchanged photos online before ultimately arranging a meet up. She also showed the radio hosts nude photos that Baker allegedly sent her.
“He kept texting me, saying like, ‘Send me pictures’ and blah, blah, blah,” she claimed (H/T US Magazine). “We were texting for a while, and then he was like, ‘OK, come see me.’ So I got in my car and I drove all the way to Westlake, and it was like behind Cheesecake Factory in some weird development parking lot. And so he texted me when I was on my way there and he was like, ‘You have to leave your phone in the car.’”
Once inside Mayfield’s SUV, Dingess claims that the two hopped in the backseat and she performed oral sex on him.
“[When] I left, I was like, ‘Good doing business with you’ — like, joking around,” she recounted (H/T US Magazine). “And he was like, ‘Don’t say that!’ And I was like, ‘I’m just kidding.’ And then I lost my Juul in his car and we had to look for that for a few minutes. He was like, ‘OK, well, drive safe,’ and I was like, ‘OK, see ya.’”
So if this incident did actually occur, why is she coming forward now? She explained to the radio hosts that Mayfield blocked her on twitter, which led her to out him as a cheater.
Kobe Bryant Memorial Merch Hits eBay With Exorbitant Prices
T-shirts and programs from the Kobe and Gianna Bryant memorial are already selling for thousands of dollars on eBay.
More than 20,000 people packed the Staples Center on Monday for the Kobe and Gianna Bryant memorial service, including NBA and WNBA legends past and present, musicians, celebrities and fans. According to ESPN, more than 80,000 people entered a random drawing for the chance to purchase tickets to the service, but only a fraction actually got through.
Those who were fortunate enough to be in attendance received a special edition t-shirt and program, both featuring memorable photos taken of the Laker legend and his daughter. While most Kobe fans will cherish those items forever, others have taken to eBay in an attempt to cash in.
According to TMZ Sports, one seller's Kobe t-shirt from the memorial service sold for $2,025 after less than 24 hours on the auction block. Others are offering "Kobe Memorial" bundle packs, which includes the t-shirt and program, with starting bids of $3,000 and a "Buy It Now" of $5,000. Of course, this isn't the first time that opportunistic resellers have looked to pad their pockets with mourners' money.
Almost immediately after news of the tragic helicopter crash was confirmed, Nike sold out of their stock of Kobe gear and the prices of Kobe's popular Nike sneakers jumped to more than 4x the amount that they typically resell for.
Whether or not you agree that it's morally wrong, we can expect much of the same when Nike drops the "Lakers" Kobe 5 Protro next month.
ESPN Analyst Suspended For Calling Baker Mayfield A Midget
ESPN Cleveland analyst Tony Grossi caught calling Baker Mayfield a midget when he thought they were off the air.
ESPN Cleveland analyst Tony Grossi has been suspended indefinitely following comments he made about Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. During a discussion about the league's QBs, Grossi referred to Mayfield as a “fucking midget” when he thought he was off the air but a hot microphone picked up every word he said.
You can hear the slip up at the tail end of the video embedded below.
Grossi got under Mayfield's skin last October when he questioned the QB about one of the Browns' pointless drives in their loss to the New England Patriots. At the time, Mayfield lashed out, "That’s the dumbest question you could ask. What? Jesus, Tony.”
ESPN Cleveland issued the following statement regarding Grossi's comments on Tuesday.
“The term Tony used is a derogatory slur to describe Little People. Good Karma Brands will not tolerate derogatory language that demeans others or groups of people,” the company said Tuesday in a media release.
“We are addressing this matter with Tony directly, and while we normally do not comment on personnel matters, we do want to share that we have made the decision to immediately and indefinitely suspend Tony Grossi. In addition, we will pursue sensitivity and inclusion training for everyone on our content teams across our company,” Good Karma Brands stated.
For what it's worth, Mayfield is listed as 6'1.
