Author

Admin

Browsing

After a harrowing experience at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games, Simone Biles decided to seize the crown back on the mat. And the G.O.A.T. did just that by snagging 4 Olympic medals—3 gold and 1 silver. Leading up to the Games in Paris, we witnessed the 27-year-old’s experience during her time in the Japanese capital. But with Simone Biles Rising Part 2, fans will relive the magic of her spectacular Redemption Tour in Bercy Arena.

Katie Walsh helped bring her journey onto our screens. She had the opportunity to follow the gymnast around as she made it through the U.S. Olympic Trials and the Games. However, one poignant moment in the French capital stood out for the director. On October 23, Walsh appeared in a casual sit-down interview with Sports Business Journal’s Rachel Axon. They initially discussed her experience working with the most decorated gymnast in history. But the conversation eventually pivoted to the Olympian’s injury scare.

Simone Biles 

Axon elaborated on how Simone Biles pushed through the situation to step onto the Olympic podium. “I mean, she is so tough and determined, and nothing was going to get in the way for her,” Walsh confessed. What really happened? During a warm-up routine on Day 2, the 27-year-old slipped and occasionally tweaked her calf. But right before her rotation, she left the floor with the team doctor. Upon her return, she still seemed to struggle with her calves. At some point, she crawled down the runway for a bit before hopping the rest of the way.

The issue persisted during the women’s gymnastics qualification the next day after she suffered a lower leg injury. She was later spotted soothing her leg while the rest of her compatriots contested on the mat. Katie Walsh recalled watching that moment, “Yeah. I think once you see, you know, what she was going through in those days, you just appreciate so much more.” This could have been a massive setback for Team USA, but the Olympian refused to let it hold her back.

The “GOAT will return to our screens this week to share her journey at the 2024 Paris Olympics in Part 2 of Netflix’s “Simone Biles Rising.”

In the first installment of the docuseries, Biles opened up about exiting the competition at the Tokyo Olympics four years ago, citing her battle with mental health, including it being a “trauma response” to the Larry Nassar abuse.

Simone Biles

During the next two episodes, fans can watch Biles “as she makes the U.S. Olympic Team at the 2024 Trials, onward to her arrival in Paris, and continuing along her incredible blazing trail to become the most decorated gymnast in history,” according to Netflix.

Shakur Stevenson has weighed in on the upcoming Gervonta Davis vs Lamont Roach fight.

Davis is set to defend his WBA lightweight title against Roach at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on Saturday 14 December.

It will see ‘Tank’ aim to extend his impressive unbeaten record, which currently stands at 30-0, with 28 of his wins coming by knockout.

Standing in his way is Roach, the current WBA super-featherweight champion who will be stepping up from 130lbs to 135lbs for this contest.

Roach won the belt with a split decision win over Hector Luis Garcia in November 2023, and made a successful first defence by stopping Feargal McCrory in eight rounds this past June.

Gervonta, and Lamont Roach Jr

With the fight between Davis and Roach fast approaching, WBC lightweight champion Stevenson has offered his thoughts on the two rivals in his division, stating that it will be a much tougher fight than most people expect.

“I’m not looking at Lamont the way everybody else is looking at Lamont. I know Lamont is a really good fighter, this ain’t no Frank Martin, that’s all I’m going to say. This is a real good fight.”

Davis beat Martin last time out, stopping his previously unbeaten opponent in the eighth round when thy met in Las Vegas in June.

A unification fight between WBC champion Stevenson and WBA champion Davis has long been talked about by fans, and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has given his prediction for who would potentially come out on top if they were to meet.

Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis versus Shakur Stevenson is one of the most exciting fights that can be made in boxing right now.

Davis is the current WBA lightweight champion who has been fighting rather infrequently in recent years but is still rated as one of the pound-for-pound kings.

Last time out ‘Tank’ stopped Frank Martin in August, and before that, he knocked out Ryan Garcia with a body shot back in April 2023.

He had been pursuing a unification fight with Vasiliy Lomachenko who instead decided to take the rest of the year off, so is next scheduled to fight WBA junior lightweight champion Lamont Roach Jr. at Houston’s Toyota Center.

Gervonta Davis

 

 

Stevenson, who holds the WBC lightweight belt, beat Artem Harutyunyan in July, and before that Edwin De Los Santos last November, both on points, and both while taking a some criticism for boxing safely.

He was scheduled to fight Joe Cordina this month but a hand injury meant he withdrew from the card and will be out until the new year.

Speaking to ProBox TV, former coach turned pundit Teddy Atlas had high praise for Davis.

“Tank Davis, right now he’s in his prime, he can do everything. Forget about the fact that he is the hardest puncher, he is also a terrific counterpuncher, can set traps, and can set his legs when he wants to. He’s patient when he needs to be patient, deliberate, cerebral, right now he’s the full package.”

He then claimed Davis was the only man who could beat Stevenson.

“He is probably the only guy I can think of beating Shakur Stevenson right now, because Shakur Stevenson is that difficult right now ’cause of his style, his eyes, legs, his hand speed, the way he controls range. Tank Davis is the only man I can see that can possibly decipher that style.”

For the moment fans will have to wait to see whether this match-up ever materialises.

Iga Swiatek’s reign at the top has finally ended. Earlier today, Aryna Sabalenka displaced the Polish star in the WTA rankings table and became the new World Number 1. While Swiatek has been away from the court since her quarterfinal defeat against Jessica Pegula at the US Open, Sabalenka has enjoyed a winning run of late. However, recent form isn’t the only factor behind Sabalenka’s rise to the top as a controversial WTA rule came to light.

While there are as many as 10 mandatory WTA 1000 tournaments, the women’s body also requires players to play in the 6 mandatory WTA 500 tournaments. The move has been widely debated, with players calling out the grueling schedule which takes a toll on their physical and mental health. There are as many as 17 WTA 500 tournaments played in a season and players have to compulsorily play in six of them.

Sabalenka has already played in four WTA 500 tournaments this season, Brisbane International, Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Ecotrans Ladies Open, and the Citi Open. Swiatek has played in just 2 WTA 500 tournaments, the United Cup and the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. As a result, Swiatek has lost out on crucial WTA ranking points, which has affected her downgrade from the top spot to the second position.

Further, a tennis insider also raised objections over the mandatory WTA 500 rule, saying, “The problem is not that Iga Świątek is falling to second place in the ranking, because that was predictable, Sabalenka deserved to be in the lead. The problem is the controversial rules of the WTA ranking construction. 6 mandatory WTA 500 events (XD) , the requirement to play every now and then for the best.”

Many players, including Iga Swiatek, have strongly criticized the WTA for the scheduling mess. Earlier today, it was Sloane Stephens who made her feelings felt on this matter.

Iga Swiatek 

Sloane Stephens joins Iga Swiatek in voicing her concerns

With a growing number of mandatory tournaments, there is hardly any breathing space left for the players. This eventually results in their physical and mental health taking a toll and not many players are able to escape injury-free from the grueling season. As a result, Sloane Stephens became the latest player to voice her concerns.

She said, “Like you’re just there because like if you don’t want to sign or you don’t you’re supposed to be or you enter the tournament or you don’t have any more withdrawals like you’re just like I’m present but I’m not like mentally and not here, but I feel like that’s just kind of one of the bad things about the tour. Both tours ATP and WTA, is that you’re kind of forced to play, even when you’re probably not in the best mental capacity, you’re probably not the best physical shape, or you might be injured or whatever it is, and you just arrive because that’s what you’re supposed to do.”

Earlier, Swiatek also expressed concerns, saying that playing more tournaments will make tennis less interesting. It is high time that the tennis bodies take into account the players’ health and ease out the tennis season. Do you feel that the WTA should scrap the mandatory rule in the WTA 500 events? Let us know your views in the comments below.

At 22, Angel Reese is already one of the faces of the WNBA.

The New York Liberty may have just won the 2024 WNBA Finals but Chicago Sky forward Reese and longtime rival Caitlin Clark are already the two biggest names in women’s basketball.

However, despite Reese’s obvious talents and growing celebrity status, the 22-year-old recently admitted her WNBA salary isn’t enough to cover her rent.

“I just hope you know the WNBA don’t pay my bills at all,” Reese, who is set to earn an annual rookie salary of $73,439 for 2024, said during a live-stream.

“I don’t even think that pays one of my bills. Literally, I’m trying to think of my rent for where I stay at [in Chicago]. I’m gonna do the math real quick.”

The former LSU star then quickly calculated her spending, noting that her rent is $8,000 per month.

Reese exclaimed: “I’m living beyond my means!”

“I wouldn’t even be able to get a sandwich if I wanted to,” she added. “I wouldn’t be able to eat. I wouldn’t be able to live.”

Luckily for Reese, her salary is supplemented by several lucrative endorsements with the likes of Reebok, Beats by Dre, Wingstop, Xfinity, Raising Cane’s, Panini America and Reece’s Pieces.

As a result, she has a reported net worth of $2 million.

And now the ‘Bayou Barbie’ looks set to add another revenue stream to her growing portfolio thanks to the new 3-vs-3 basketball league Unrivaled which she is confirmed to take part in.

The project — spearheaded by WNBA Finals foes Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier — is set to begin on January 17, 2025, and Reese, along with many other WNBA stars, has already signed up to play.

TNT Sports announced its multiyear media rights agreement with Unrivaled, with primetime games set to air on TNT on Mondays and Fridays, and on TruTV on Saturdays over an eight-week span.

Rookie of the Year runner-up Reese will play on an Unrivaled team in Miami, and recently spoke about what she’s expecting from the new league.

She revealed what she wants to accomplish during the league’s debut season while subtly throwing shade at the WNBA over its lack of equity for players.

“i’m excited for the league’s first season!” Reese said of Unrivaled.

“It’s amazing to be a part of a league that gives equity to players.

Angel Reese

“I’m looking forward to playing with the best athletes and really using the time to focus on my game and getting better too.

“Being able to be in Miami from January to March, not having to go overseas,” Reese previously said. “Nobody wants to go overseas.”

“Being able to make six figures within three months,” she added.

“Being able to be housed in Miami, just being able to get better, being able to know two great players that are starting something, I think it’s amazing.”

Unrivaled is unique in the sense that it has committed ownership equity to the league’s first 30 players, which includes the likes of Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray, and Brittany Griner, and has the highest average salary in women’s sports history.

That’s in stark contrast to how the WNBA operates and how it distributes revenue across the league.

Where the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for players guarantees them a 50-percent cut of the organization’s basketball-related income, the WNBA’s CBA has no such language.

Last year, WNBA players only received around 20% of revenue shares. They get a 50-50 split of incremental revenue, just not all revenue.

WNBA salaries are significantly lower than those in the NBA, too. While the average NBA player salary last season was more than $10 million annually, the highest WNBA player salary this season is $252,420, earned by Las Vegas Aces star Jackie Young.

The W’s players are continuing to fight back against the pay disparity though, asking for more equity in the league’s shared revenues.

Players won’t be able to negotiate for those changes until 2025, which is when the current CBA expires.

However, even with the league’s recent agreement on a lucrative new TV broadcast rights deal, there’s growing speculation that WNBA players might look to opt out of their existing CBA by the November 1 deadline, aiming for substantially better terms in future negotiations.

The potential for a new CBA could have serious ramifications for the league, affecting payscales and free agency which would likely be effective as of 2026.

Angel Reese, one of the biggest stars in the WNBA, recently announced a new business venture. Following a successful rookie season with the Chicago Sky, Reese has been busy in the offseason, opening new doors in the business world.

A recent report by Demica Inman at VIBE revealed that Reese has partnered with Cash App, a digital wallet service for American consumers. The partnership will focus on giveaways, community empowerment and limited edition debit cards.

Reese became the first athlete in WNBA history to partner with Cash App.

“Angel Reese is redefining what it means to be a game changer, authentically pushing the boundaries between sport and culture,” said Catherine Ferdon, the Cash App CMO.

Cash App will also be releasing “The Angel Machine,” which is located at W. Fulton St and No. Sangamon St. in Chicago, Illinois.

These machines will give fans an opportunity to play an “interactive game” with the chance to win Reese’s college jersey, sneakers and more.

The Cash App company will also serve as a sponsor to Reese’s “Unapologetically Angel” podcast, with plans to surprise fans with giveaways on the show.

Reese is coming off a historic rookie season with the Sky. The rookie quickly became a league superstar after being selected at No. 7 in the WNBA draft.

At 22 years old, she was named to the WNBA All-Star team after averaging 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game. Reese led the WNBA in average rebounds and was the only rookie to average a double-double.

Novak Djokovic implored long-time rival Rafael Nadal to put off his planned retirement after defeating the Spaniard on Saturday in what was likely to be the final chapter of their storied rivalry.

“Don’t leave tennis, man,” Djokovic said in an on-court interview after beating Nadal in straight sets 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) at the “Six Kings Slam” exhibition in Saudi Arabia.

He added that their battles over the years had been “very intense” and told Nadal he hoped they could one day “sit on a beach somewhere” and have a drink.

Nadal, 38, announced on 10 October that he would retire from tennis after the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga next month.

Organisers of the Saudi event billed Saturday’s match as perhaps Nadal’s last singles contest as a professional.

Nadal said on Thursday he was unsure whether he would be fit enough to play singles in Malaga.

Djokovic and Nadal –- two of the sport’s famed “Big Three” along with Roger Federer –- had faced each other 60 times on the main tour prior to Saturday’s exhibition match, with Djokovic holding a narrow 31-29 edge.

Rafael nadal and Novak Djokovic

Their last encounter came during the Paris Olympics on the same Roland Garros courts where Nadal won 14 French Open titles, though Djokovic triumphed easily 6-1, 6-4.

Saturday’s match was also mostly one-sided, with Nadal spraying errors and Djokovic wrapping up the first set in just 31 minutes.

Feeding off the support of the partisan crowd who openly cheered Djokovic’s double-faults, Nadal rallied to push the second set to a tie-break, reeling off winners and even treating fans to one last iconic fist pump before succumbing to Djokovic’s relentless serving.

“It’s great to see him still fighting even though he’s had injuries and struggles,” Djokovic, 37, told a post-match press conference.

It was “a very emotional day, a special day” because it was the “last time I played my biggest rival, Nadal,” he added.

“I’ve witnessed Andy Murray retiring this year at Wimbledon, Roger (Federer) a few years ago as well. And now Rafa, you know. It’s tough in some ways to see them go, because all of my career, basically, I’ve played with them.”

After being presented with a golden tennis racket, Nadal in turn thanked Djokovic for the “amazing rivalry” and “for all the moments that we shared on court”.

Rafael Nadal made an entertaining appearance at the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia but lost out to Novak Djokovic in their final ever match.

Battling valiantly against his compatriot and protégé Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal produced glimpses of his true game at the inaugural Six Kings Slam event in Saudi Arabia.

Despite playing his part in a tie that was not as one-sided as some expected, Nadal still failed to get past his younger countryman.

In the third place playoff, a final instalment of one of sports greatest rivalries took place as Novak Djokovic took on the Spaniard.

Coincidentally, Nadal’s most recent singles match also came against his great rival at the Paris Olympics, with that match – their 60th ATP encounter – falling Djokovic’s way.

With Nadal announcing his upcoming retirement this month, he has speculated over when Djokovic might join him.

Rafael Nadal predicts Novak Djokovic career and retirement plans

The pair faced off in all four major finals, with Djokovic ultimately stealing their overall head-to-head by 31 to 29.

In an era defined by the ‘Big Four’, Djokovic is the last man standing with Roger Federer and Andy Murray already having hung up the racquet.

Rafael nadal and Novak Djokovic

 

Having won the Olympics this year – an achievement that eluded him for so long – but no Grand Slam titles, many have wondered how long the suburb still has on the professional circuit.

Angel Reese sat courtside for Game 5 of the 2024 WNBA Finals, with attire repping the star players of the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty.

The Chicago Sky rookie wore a jersey that included Liberty’s Breanna Stewart on one side and Lynx’s Napheesa Collier on the other.

Reese posted on X two days ago asking if someone could make the jersey for her by Sunday’s decisive Game 5. Earlier today, she shouted out the artist, Jocelyn Hu, who put together the outfit.

Reese averaged 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game this season. She finished second to Caitlin Clark in Rookie of the Year voting and made the WNBA All-Rookie team.

Verified by MonsterInsights