Amy Hunt 🏴 won the third women’s 100m semifinal in 11.02s under heavy rain to qualify for the Commonwealth Games final! 🌧️
Zoe Hobbs 🇳🇿 also secured automatic qualification with 11.04s, while Jonielle Smith 🇯🇲 advanced as the fastest non-automatic qualifier in 11.07s.
- Jumpers World
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| Jan 29, 2022; St. Louis, MO, USA; AJ Styles during the Royal Rumble The Dome at America's Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images |
WWE SummerSlam is right around the corner, and while there are a handful of matches on the card this year that could be fantastic, it’s going to take a lot to crack into the true all-time great category. Since 1988, there have been some true classics at SummerSlam across many different eras, so we’re going to run down the best matches in SummerSlam history.
Sometimes wrestling is just about watching a really entertaining car crash, and that’s exactly what this match was. This match is 20 minutes long, but it really doesn’t feel like it, as the four powerhouses featured here go all-out with the action and don’t let up for even a second. This was the peak of Strowman’s popularity in WWE too, and it features his classic carnage, whether he’s slamming Brock through the announce table and then burying him under the other announce table, or just launching a commentary chair right into Samoa Joe’s face; it is a tonne of fun.
After the truly awful match between these two at WrestleMania 41, it’s fair to say expectations were low for this SummerSlam rematch, but in the end, these two blew us away in what is arguably the best match of John Cena’s retirement year. While there is some weirdness surrounding the sudden and complete dismissal of Cena’s heel turn right before the match, the action is so much fun to watch.
This is another match that has the smell of redemption about it. The year before Becky Lynch had returned and beaten Bianca in 26 seconds in a move that everyone hated. Eventually it came back around, and the two had a barnburner at WrestleMania 38, and followed it up that summer with a similarly excellent opener. It was also a great statement to make, as this was the first major show following Vince McMahon’s exit from the company and Triple H taking over creative.
One of the surprising things about SummerSlam is just how much John Cena loses there. He has one of the worst SummerSlam win-loss records ever, and this is arguably his most impactful loss at the event.
Daniel Bryan was the big star everyone wanted to break through, and on this night, Cena helped put him over in the biggest way possible, as the pair showcased how Bryan’s indie-rific style can mesh with the WWE main event style to create absolute magic, especially when the crowd is desperately hoping for the underdog to win.
While WWE never intended for this to be the start of Bryan’s rise to the WrestleMania 30 main event (no matter what Road Dogg says), we can look back on it now as a truly special moment.
If you need a match to put you on the map – as Mysterio did in his WWE pay-per-view debut – Kurt Angle is one of the best people you can have it against. This match is pure magic as these two bring fast-paced action. It’s an awful lot shorter than you probably remember, at just over 9 minutes, but Rey’s luchalibre mixes perfectly with Angle’s more technical style to create a match that is remembered more than two decades later.
When it comes to iconic historical moments, there is perhaps no match on this list that tops it, though it loses points for one of the most memorable things about it being the fact that the British Bulldog was so out of it that he couldn’t remember the match at all. However, despite that, the excellence of execution led Bulldog through an all-time great match in front of one of WWE’s biggest crowds ever at Wembley Stadium, all culminating in the big win for the hometown Brit.
SummerSlam 2013 may be remembered as a two-match show (as there’s really nothing else on it worth going back to); however, what a pair of matches they are, and a great encapsulation of this era in WWE. In perhaps CM Punk’s last great match before he’d leave WWE for a decade, him and Brock Lesnar went all-out in a way that Brock doesn’t often do. Punk is the perfect ragdoll for Lesnar to throw around, but mounts a compelling comeback all the same, even if he doesn’t ultimately get the win.
The Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match is one of WWE’s more chaotic innovations. This right here was the very first, and they kicked it off in extremely memorable fashion. Much like the first ladder match several years earlier, this featured some incredible spots for the very first time that we almost take for granted today, featuring the very best of WWE’s extremely strong 2000s tag division in the best way possible.
Brother vs brother matches don’t have the best reputation in WWE. The Hardys and the Usos never really delivered, but WWE will keep trying them for one very good reason, and that’s Owen and Bret. Whenever these two got in the ring together, it was absolute magic. These two had already had an incredible clash in the opening match of WrestleMania 10, but they arguably one-upped themselves inside the Steel Cage here.
Making the careers of fan-favourites at SummerSlam is a strange running theme of John Cena’s. We covered Daniel Bryan earlier; he also lost to CM Punk in a great match in 2011, but AJ Styles in 2016 is perhaps the one fans are most grateful for. As Styles himself has said, Vince McMahon brought him in to be a mid-card talent in the company, but it was his work with Cena that put him over the top.
This is arguably Cena’s best in-ring performance ever, and Styles does what he does best to put himself on the map, notching a huge win that would propel Mr TNA to become WWE Champion just one month later.
- Ryan Woodrow
The 54-year-old takes over from Didier Deschamps, who stepped down following the 2026 FIFA World Cup after leading France for 14 years.
Zidane’s appointment comes after France’s disappointing campaign at the tournament in North America. Widely regarded as one of the favourites, Les Bleus were eliminated by eventual champions Spain in the semi-finals before losing to England in the third-place playoff.
The former France captain returns to coaching for the first time since leaving Real Madrid in 2021, where he enjoyed one of the most successful managerial spells in modern football.
“I have often said there is nothing greater than the French national team. It is therefore a joy and obviously a great honor to become the coach of France. It is also a responsibility,” Zidane said in a statement released by the FFF.
“I want to thank President Philippe Diallo, the Executive Committee and the French Football Federation for their trust and salute the fourteen years of Didier and his staff. I also have a special thought today for all my teachers. Needless to say, I have a lot of ambition for the French team.”
As a player, Zidane is regarded as one of France’s greatest footballers. He inspired the country to its first FIFA World Cup title in 1998, scoring twice in the 3-0 victory over Brazil in the final, before helping France win the UEFA European Championship in 2000.
His international playing career ended in dramatic fashion when he was sent off during the 2006 World Cup final against Italy following his infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi.
Zidane now aims to emulate Deschamps by winning the World Cup as both a player and a coach.
Speaking at his unveiling, Zidane said coaching the French national team had always been his ambition.
“It’s a continuation for me, a dream come true. Over the last four or five years, I’ve received offers to lead a club and I rejected them all for the France national team. It’s the only thing I’ve wanted to do,” he said.
Zidane brings an outstanding club coaching record to the role. During two spells in charge of Real Madrid, he guided the Spanish giants to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles, two La Liga championships and two FIFA Club World Cup trophies.
His immediate challenge will be preparing France for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, with a squad featuring attacking stars including Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, Désiré Doué and Bradley Barcola.
“We’ll be doing things differently. Deschamps is Deschamps, Zidane is Zidane. I will do what I know how to do,” he said. “I guarantee continuity so that the French national team keeps winning.”
- Ariana News
La Liga president Javier Tebas has issued a stinging statement in response to Gianni Infantino’s 2026 World Cup rant.
Infantino has been accused of going ‘full Donald Trump’ with an unexpected statement posted on FIFA’s official website and across 15 slides on his Instagram account.
The under-fire FIFA president blasted critics of the 2026 World Cup, claiming they’ve been “consumed by hate” and urging them to “meditate, pray or watch a football match” in order to “find peace”.
Infantino claimed this summer’s tournament in North America featured “no violence, no incidents, 100% safety and security” - ignoring the fact four supporters tragically died during World Cup celebrations in Mexico City.
He defended the treatment of Iran’s national football team, issues over visas, and even the hugely controversial Folarin Balogun red card situation.
“Indeed, ‘arguable’ referees' decisions or ‘strange’ disciplinary rulings such as for instance potentially mistaken red or yellow cards or subsequent decisions not to ban players in certain situations are routine and widely accepted in some of the biggest leagues worldwide,” Infantino wrote. “It's curious that the same countries employing these practices are the ones criticising.”
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| REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes |
Rather than convince people that the 2026 World Cup was a tournament without any downsides, Infantino’s statement appears to have had the opposite effect.
The “lame-duck FIFA president” now finds himself under even more scrutiny, with La Liga president Tebas tweeting:
"Today Gianni Infantino has written a pathetic message on his Instagram account and on the accounts of FIFA.
"No one disputes that football is emotion and unity. But transparency, good governance, and accountability are never hate; they are an obligation. Strong institutions do not discredit those who ask questions; they answer the questions.
"And a reflection Gianni: when a leader dedicates an entire message to disqualifying those who exercise legitimate scrutiny, it's inevitable to wonder... why precisely now? Is there something that explains such a defensive tone? Is something happening that we don't know about?"
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| Reuters/Mark J Rebilas |
Meanwhile, Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House judiciary committee, has launched an investigation into Infantino, seeking documents that would detail the ties between FIFA and US President Donald Trump and his administration, per The Guardian.
“[Y]our election as FIFA president was supposed to mark a red-card break from a decades-long culture of corruption and scandals that dressed down world soccer’s reputation,” Raskin wrote to Infantino in the letter.
“Instead, at the start of your tenure, you dismantled FIFA’s ethical guardrails and disabled the organization’s ethics committee by pushing out most of its members. This lack of transparency and oversight has since paved the way for you to ingratiate yourself with the Trump administration via tactics that a New York University law professor and one of your former ethics committeemen described as ‘legal bribery’.”
Trump, who has close ties with Infantino, has reportedly lined up a potential new job for the under-pressure FIFA president.
- Rob Swan
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| Celebrations. Image Courtesy/ PTI |
Sharmila Dhankar scripted history on Monday as she won India’s first para athletics gold medal in the Commonwealth Games, clinching the top spot in the women’s shot put F57 event here.
The 40-year-old produced a season-best throw of 9.81m to end India’s 20-year wait for a para athletics medal in the CWG.
Another Indian, Shilpa Shyla, was awarded the bronze medal following an Indian protest in controversial circumstances. Shyla had produced a personal best effort of 7.26m.
Nigeria’s Eucharia Iyiazi was initially placed at the bronze medal position but after a protest and official review, her only valid mark was adjudged a foul. That led to Shyla being upgraded to bronze from initial fourth place. However, it is likely that a counter protest may also be launched by Nigeria.
A sobbing Shyla celebrated, along with Sharmila, after the dramatic upgradation to bronze, giving India two medals from the event.
F57 classification is for athletes with lower limb impairments, limb deficiencies, or reduced muscle power.
Infected with polio on her left leg at the age of two, Sharmila won a gold medal in the Fazza International Para Athletics Championship this year. She also took part in the 2022 Birmingham Games and finished fourth.
- Press Trust Of India
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| WWE/Getty Images |
Their initial storyline romance may have been short and may even have gone unremembered or unknown to newer WWE fans, but one of professional wrestling's biggest power couples, despite their troubles with the industry, have reunited on screen once again. AJ Lee made her return after a decade out of the business during September 6's edition of "WWE SmackDown" in Chicago, Illinois, to reunite with her real-life husband, CM Punk, in a storyline feud against Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch.
Punk and Lee began dating after their storyline romance concluded in 2012, though their initial kayfabe "romance" was short-lived, with Lee choosing to continue to chase after Daniel Bryan and then Dolph Ziggler instead. The couple married in June 2014 in a small ceremony, a day where WWE infamously sent Punk his termination papers by FedEx after he walked out of the company in January. Lee would remain in WWE for over a year before she too retired from the ring, citing neck issues in addition to feeling caught in the middle between her husband and WWE.
The rumors of Lee's return to WWE started almost as soon as Punk returned to WWE at Survivor Series 2023, with fans clamoring to see the real-life couple team up in the ring. When Lynch inserted herself into her husband's feud with Punk, fans got their wish as Lee returned to help her husband in the fight.
In addition to Lee and Punk, there are a few other "WWE Raw" stars dating current wrestlers, as well as stars who are married to former WWE talent. There are even more stars on the red brand, however, who wed or are dating outside of the professional wrestling industry, choosing to keep their work and personal lives a bit more separate.
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| WWE/Getty Images |
Outside of Lee and Punk, one of WWE's biggest power couples who are also now working together on screen are current World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and Women's Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch. Their close friendship-turned-relationship is something Lynch wrote about in her 2024 memoir, "The Man: Not Your Average Average Girl." Lynch wrote that in 2018, she had recently accepted a proposal from her then-boyfriend, but realized she didn't actually want to marry him, she just thought he was a "safe" option.
Lynch said she was panicking about the fact, and spoke to Rollins about it to get some advice, well before the pair developed a romantic relationship. Lynch and her then-fiancé would break up over text message about four months after he proposed. Rollins' relationship with his then-girlfriend, former "WWE NXT" talent Zahra Schreiber, ended around the same time, and the pair started to hang out more.
They officially began dating in January 2019 and went public a few months later. They got engaged that year, and Lynch revealed on the "WWE Raw" after Money in the Bank 2020 that she was pregnant, and that Asuka actually won her title at the event, rather than just a contract for a title match. Lynch gave birth to the couple's daughter, Roux, in December. She and Rollins married in June 2021.
The couple would work together in storyline as babyfaces after their relationship was first made public. They never seemed to click together on television in their story with Baron Corbin and Lacey Evans, however, and Rollins said they wouldn't work together on-screen again. That changed, however, with the right story in 2025, with both Lynch and Rollins working as heels in their story against Rollins' sworn arch-nemesis, Punk, and his newly-returned wife.
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| @djt_major/Instagram |
Contrary to what WWE wants fans to believe in its stories on television, and how well the pair work together during WWE-related events and media appearances, Dominik Mysterio isn't actually dating former Women's World Champion Liv Morgan. Mysterio is actually a married man. He wed his high school sweetheart, who he had been dating since he was 14 years old, Marie Juliette, in March 2024 after the pair got engaged in January 2023. The couple wed at the height of Mysterio's heel turn, after he turned his back on his own father, Rey Mysterio, to join Judgment Day, and various wedding guests revealed that he was jokingly booed at his own wedding ceremony.
Despite Mysterio being linked in kayfabe to two of the most popular women in WWE, Morgan and Rhea Ripley, he revealed that his wife is cool with the storylines and even the kissing that has been involved. Mysterio told Chris Van Vliet in October 2024 that Juliette is his "ride or die," though he jokingly later revealed to Stephanie McMahon he would divorce her for his own In-And-Out Burger restaurant.
Mysterio said that as long as he lets his wife know what's going to be going on in his romantic storylines, she's cool with it. He revealed she's never given him a "hard time" and they text after every match and Mysterio lets her know he's okay. Mysterio called Juliette his rock and said he was "blessed" that she puts up with everything he gets up to in WWE.
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| @Jinnys_/Instagram |
Former World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER is married to a fellow wresting talent Jinny Sandhu, who went by Jinny in the ring. The pair met on the independent scene in promotions like RevPro and wXw in Germany while they were still making names for themselves. They began dating while they both worked in the now-defunct "WWE NXT UK." While GUNTHER went to the United States to work with WWE, Jinny didn't make the journey to America to get back in the ring.
The couple married in a private ceremony in 2022 when GUNTHER was still the Intercontinental Champion and had cemented his spot in history as the longest-reigning champion with the title. GUNTHER and Jinny had a second wedding ceremony amongst family and friends in London in April 2023. GUNTHER announced their marriage a few days after the second ceremony with posts on X (then known as Twitter) and Instagram showing the couple dancing.
Jinny announced her retirement from wrestling in January 2023 due to an injury that was later revealed to be a concussion. Jinny and GUNTHER welcomed a son in December 2023 and in 2025, they purchased a home in Cambridge.
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| Dimitros Kambouris/Getty Images |
YouTube star-turned-wrestler and former United States Champion Logan Paul recently wed model Nina Agdal. The ceremony took place in Italy in August, the same place where the couple got engaged in July 2023 and social media videos from the wedding show Paul's podcast co-host, Mike Majlak, as the officiant. Paul would later reveal on his "Impaulsive" podcast that he proposed with a 6.23 carat emerald cut diamond, which Agdal, who was a guest on the show at the time, called "stunning and perfect" while gushing that her new fiancé had outdid himself.
Prior to their nuptials, the pair welcomed their first child, a daughter name Esme, in September 2024. They revealed their baby's gender in a wrestling-themed event that April which ended in a cloud of pink smoke.
Agdal and Paul became a couple in 2022 and were spotted around London the summer before becoming Instagram official. Agdal confirmed their relationship when she posted a photo of the pair in December. Agdal said they first met in New York City and her gut was "screaming at her" to say hello to him. She said she convinced Paul to meet up with her for a drink and it "instantly" felt like she had known him for years.
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| @Izzy_wwe |
Bron Breakker may have moved up to WWE's main roster, where he's quickly gaining success as part of Seth Rollins' stable, in February 2024, but he found love on the "WWE NXT" roster. Breakker is dating current member of The Culling, Izzi Dame. The former NXT Champion and Dame started dating after Breakker's breakup with former "NXT" star Cora Jade, now known on the independent scene as Elayna Black.
In addition to being a part of "NXT's" strong women's division, Dame is also very active on TikTok, where she has amassed over 70,000 followers. She often shares videos alongside Breakker on her TikTok, as well as her Instagram page. In one of the couple's recent adventures they shared on social media, Dame went fishing for the first time alongside Breakker, and her phone ended up at the bottom of the Florida lake. "First and last time trying to fish," Dame captioned the video, alongside a laughing emoji.
While Dame has yet to be called up to the main roster, as she's already working in a faction in WWE's developmental brand, she could always potentially be part of Rollins' Vision alongside her boyfriend at a later date.
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| WWE/Getty Images |
"The Phenomenal" AJ Styles, whose real name is Allen Jones, has been married to his wife Wendy since 2000. Wendy is a teacher in Gainesville, Georgia, where the family resides. The couple have three sons, Ajay, Avery, and Albey, and a daughter named Anney. Styles' famous "AJ" tattoo on his side also lists the birthdates of his four children below their shared initials. Styles and Wendy were most recently spotted together in WWE when they posed on the red carpet ahead of the 2025 Hall of Fame ceremony during WrestleMania 41 weekend.
While Wendy is not a professional wrestler and seemingly a pretty private person due to her teaching profession, she became a focal point of Styles' feud with Samoa Joe in 2018. The former NXT Champion targeted Styles' family throughout their WWE feud, which culminated in the rivals duking it out in a steel cage at WWE's Starrcade event that year. Throughout the feud, Joe would verbally target both Wendy and the couple's daughter, infuriating Styles to the point he'd make mistakes in their matches or get himself disqualified with his attacks on Joe.
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| @bronsonishare/Instagram |
Yet another wrestler who married their high school sweetheart is "Big" Bronson Reed. The former NXT North American Champion, whose real name is Jermaine Haley, married his wife, Paige, in May 2021. Paige isn't a wrestler, but did make an appearance in the crowd during the episode of "NXT" in 2021 where her husband won the NA title.
The Vision member announced in February 2024 that his wife had given birth to their first child. The birth of baby Haley changed Reed's booking plans. He had already been called up to WWE's main roster at the time and was meant to be involved at Elimination Chamber in his home country of Australia.
After missing the event, Reed posted a statement on X (then known as Twitter) about what happened. He said he was set for the premium live event and it would have been "an incredible moment," but plans changed. He said everything happened for a reason, and his wife had their baby early. He said he believed he was meant to miss the show to make sure he was there for his family. He also gave thanks to Paul "Triple H" Levesque in the post for "guiding him."
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| Maya Dehlin Splash/Getty Images |
Rusev and CJ Perry, then known as Lana, were another couple whose relationship started out as a WWE storyline. They were paired together in Vince McMahon's WWE in 2014 with Perry working as "The Ravishing Russian" Lana, Rusev's manager. Rusev revealed on "Reel Talker" at the beginning of 2020 that the pair started dating after they would ride together on the road. He said he "felt like something was happening," but didn't wan to push her away. He revealed he asked her out on a date and things moved quickly from there. He said they kissed, then suddenly, they were moving in together and buying a house.
The pair's engagement in 2015 caused a stir within WWE, as McMahon reportedly was not happy that TMZ picked up the story, as the pair were on the outs in storyline. They officially wed in July 2016. The couple had two ceremonies, the first, a circus-themed beach wedding in Malibu, and a second in Rusev's native Bulgaria, which was highlighted on "Total Divas."
It was revealed in March 2024 that Rusev and Lana had split at the end of 2023 after seven years of marriage. Fans speculated as to whether or not the split could have been a publicity stunt, as both stars were working in AEW at the time. When news of their breakup broke, however, TMZ revealed that Rusev had moved back to his native Bulgaria and Perry provided the outlet with a statement. The couple never filed for divorce, however, and reconciled and even renewed their wedding vows in March 2025.
Rusev returned to WWE in April 2025 following WrestleMania 41. Perry has yet to make an official appearance alongside her husband on WWE TV, but Perry reported signed a Legends deal with the company.
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| @isabella.revilla/Instagram |
Sheamus is another wrestler who keeps his personal and professional lives separate. He married Isabella Revilla, who is not involved in the professional wrestling world, in October 2022, and Drew McIntyre served as his best man.
Revilla is an animal rescue worker who helps pets find their forever homes in both Nashville, where the couple resides, and Jersey City. which Revilla is from. Throughout their relationship, Revilla and Sheamus have been dog parents to pups Dawn, Frodo, Vesper, and Betty, and Revilla runs an Instagram account to show off photos of their dogs, as well as help others find homes.
The pair were married in New York City. Rusev also served as a groomsman in Sheamus' wedding, and they, as well as McIntyre, all wore traditional Irish garb, including kilts, to the ceremony. Rusev's wife, CJ Perry, was in attendance, and posted some of the first photos of the big day to social media, offering her congratulations to the happy couple. Other WWE stars in attendance included Naomi, Damian Priest, and Matt Riddle, which Perry confirmed with a photo in another post.
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| WWE/YouTube |
Former WWE World Tag Team Champion Erik, of the former Vikings Raiders, now once again the War Raiders in the company, is married to former WWE talent Sarah Rowe, who was known as Sarah Logan, then Valhalla, during her time in the ring. The pair got married in a Viking-themed wedding attended by fellow WWE stars, including Logan's Riott Squad teammates Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan, in December 2018.
Erik and Logan worked together when she made a return to WWE full-time in November 2022. She joined the Viking Raiders and adopted the Valhalla name. In April 2024, she left the company for the second time after announcing she and Rowe were expecting their second child.
She would not return to WWE to join her husband following the baby's birth, something she announced on her own Instagram page in June. WWE wouldn't move her to the alumni section of their website, however, until September. Rowe remains in WWE alongside his War Raiders teammate Ivar, a position both men fought through serious injuries to stay in.
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| @lupita.orozco.m/Instagram |
Former NXT North American and WWE Speed Champion Dragon Lee, whose real name is Emmanuel González, is happily married to wife Lupita Orozco and the pair have two daughters together. The couple married in December 2019 and the wedding was officiated by Fray Tormenta, a Mexican Catholic priest who is famous for founding and supporting an orphanage through his work as a Luchador.
They welcomed their first daughter into the world in 2021 and Orozco gave birth to their second baby girl at the beginning of 2025.The couple's second gender reveal was Lucha themed, with Orozco donning a pink mask alongside her husband, wearing blue.
Orozco isn't directly involved in the wrestling business, but did make an appearance on the red carpet alongside her husband at the 2025 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. She shared photos of the event on her public Instagram page, where she also shares photos and videos of their family life. Lee also shares numerous family photos on his Instagram, including adorable snaps of his daughters in his masks.
- DAISY RUTH
Raquel Rodriguez beat Sol Ruca to capture the Women's Intercontinental during "WWE Raw."
Rodriguez was challenging Ruca for the title for the second time this month, having fallen short before. Rodriguez might have broken her nose in the early stages of the bout as it started to pour blood, requiring the referee to wipe it while she was wrestling.
Ruca looked on her way to retaining the title before Liv Morgan and Roxanne Perez made their way down to the ring. Ruca took out Perez before she could get involved and looked to run the ropes only to be tripped by Morgan, allowing Rodriguez to roll her up for a near-fall.
IYO SKY then made her way down to the ring to meet Morgan, throwing her into the ring post as Ruca sought for a Sol Snatcher back in the ring. Perez thwarted the Sol Snatcher attempt while the referee was distracted by Morgan, allowing Rodriguez to connect with her Tejana Bomb and secure the winning pinfall and capture the title.
With the win, Rodriguez has her first main roster singles title since holding the NXT Women's Championship in 2021, having since held the Women's Tag Team Championship five times.
- MAX EVERETT
Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos, has convicted and sentenced fugitive drug kingpin, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, and former international footballer, Segun George Hunkarin, to a combined 24 years’ imprisonment for unlawfully importing 7.050 kilogrammes of cocaine into Nigeria.
Chinedu was first arraigned in September 2015 on a one-count charge, marked FHC/L/227C/2015, for unlawfully importing 6.250 kilogrammes of cocaine. He pleaded not guilty and was granted bail but absconded midway through his trial, remaining at large for nearly 10 years.
He was eventually re-arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on June 24, 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, while attempting to smuggle 800 grammes of cocaine into the country aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa.
Investigations revealed that Chinedu, a frequent traveller who transported clothing from Turkey to Nigeria and food items from Nigeria to Turkey, had travelled from Turkey and transited through Addis Ababa, where he collected the luggage containing the illicit drug before proceeding to Nigeria.
Further investigations showed that an accomplice, Segun George Hunkarin, a former professional footballer, was waiting at the airport car park to receive the consignment.
Hunkarin, who had spent several years playing football in Brazil, was immediately tracked down and arrested.
In his statement, Hunkarin admitted that while playing professional football in Brazil, he had trafficked drugs on two occasions from Brazil to Ethiopia.
Both men were subsequently arraigned on a three-count charge, marked FHC/L/669C/2025, bordering on the unlawful importation of 800 grammes of cocaine.
Delivering judgment on Friday, July 24, 2026, Justice Kakaki sentenced Chinedu to 20 years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine for importing 6.250 kilogrammes of cocaine.
He was handed an additional two-year prison term, also without the option of a fine, for conspiring with Hunkarin to import 800 grammes of cocaine, bringing his total sentence to 22 years.
Hunkarin was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for conspiracy, bringing the combined jail terms to 24 years.
Reviewing the facts of the case, the NDLEA prosecutor, Adekunle Adebajo, reminded the court that Chinedu had earlier been arraigned before Justice Salihu Saidu (now retired) in 2015 on the same drug importation charge but jumped bail after being granted release.
Relying on several legal authorities, Adebajo urged the court to convict and sentence both defendants in line with the provisions of the NDLEA Act.
Counsel to the defendants, Chief Benson Ndakara, who represented Chinedu, and Chief Emefo Etudo, who appeared for Hunkarin, pleaded for leniency and urged the court to impose fines instead of custodial sentences.
The court, however, rejected the plea after reviewing the submissions, authorities cited and exhibits tendered, and sentenced both convicts to prison without the option of a fine.
Reacting to the judgment, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), commended the judiciary, describing the conviction as a reaffirmation of the courts’ commitment to ridding the country of drug trafficking and ensuring that offenders are brought to justice, regardless of how long they evade arrest.
Marwa also praised the NDLEA officers involved in the arrest, investigation and prosecution of the case, noting that Chinedu’s re-arrest after nearly a decade on the run demonstrated the agency’s patience, diligence and determination in tracking down fugitives.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to working closely with the judiciary and other stakeholders to ensure that everyone involved in drug trafficking, irrespective of status or how long they attempt to evade justice, is brought to book.
- Bertram Nwannekanma
Elijah Bieniemy, the son of Kansas City Chiefs assistant Eric Bieniemy, was arrested and charged with shooting his mother in Ashburn, Va., court records show.
The Chiefs said Monday that Mia Bieniemy, who was shot Sunday night at her home, is in stable condition.
Loudoun juvenile and domestic relations district court records show that Elijah Bieniemy, apprehended Monday, faces felony charges of malicious wounding, use of a firearm in a felony and discharge of a firearm inside of a dwelling, stemming from a Sunday incident.
"Out of respect for their privacy, we won't have a comment at this time," the Chiefs said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with them."
The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office said in a news release that it is investigating a shooting that occurred Sunday on the 20000 block of Northpark Drive in Ashburn, where Bieniemy owns a home.
Officers responded to a report of a shooting there about 7:32 p.m. EDT Sunday and found a female with multiple gunshot wounds.
Elijah Bieniemy, 27, is being held without bond in the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid also addressed the incident Monday at training camp. He said he found out about it Sunday night. Bieniemy is entering his 12th season working on a staff led by Reid. He served as Chiefs offensive coordinator for a combined six previous season under the veteran head coach.
"Our hearts go out to Eric Bieniemy and his family," Reid told reporters. "Thoughts and prayers are with them. I can't get into details on it. But things happen sometimes. Eric will work through it. He's got a great support group here as with his family, as needed. And then we'll just let time take care of it from there.
"Mia is stable, which is a plus, and so is Eric Jr., and that's all important."
Reid did not provide a timeline for Bieniemy's potential return. He cited pass game coordinator Joe Bleymaier and offensive line coach Andy Heck as being more "involved" amid Bieniemy's time away.
Bieniemy had attended Chiefs practice Sunday in St. Joseph, Mo.
- Alex Butler
