On July 17, 1994 (32 years ago) American singer and actress Whitney Houston delivered one of the most memorable musical performances in history at the FIFA World Cup 94' closing ceremony held at the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California.
Houston opened the show with her 1987 hit "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" after she was escorted onto the pitch and to the stage by Brazilian soccer legend Pelẹ́
Her unparalleled vocal performance left world cup fans stunned as she nailed every note!
Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions have confirmed the ban in an official statement.
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| Getty |
Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions has banned a five-weight world champion from all events after an incident at their debut MMA event on Netflix on Saturday.
Ronda Rousey submitted Gina Carano within 15 seconds in her final ever MMA fight at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
Mike Perry defeated Nate Diaz, while Francis Ngannou was also back in MMA action during the stacked card.
However the event was somewhat overshadowed after Claressa Shields appeared slap fellow boxer Alycia Baumgardner, who is signed to MVP.
The two rivals became embroiled in a fiery exchange, with footage showing Shields striking Baumgardner in a private backstage area as security intervened.
On Monday, MVP, the promotion Paul founded, issued a statement on the incident and confirmed that Shields will not be able to attend any events they put on until further notice.
Claressa Shields has been banned from all MVP events after slapping Alycia Baumgardner at the Ronda Rousey fight 😳
Alycia says she’s also taking legal action
MVP branded Shields' behaviour "unacceptable" but praised Baumgardner for not escalating the situation any further.
"Most Valuable Promotions is aware of the incident during MVP's Rousey vs Carano event on Saturday night involving physical contact by Claressa Shields toward Alycia Baumgardner," the MVP statement read.
MVP maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy for hostile, threatening, or aggressive behavior toward fighters, staff, media, or guests at any of our events.
"Physical altercations outside the ring or cage are unacceptable in any MVP environment.
"MVP does not condone, tolerate, or accept Claressa Shields’ behavior in that setting. And it reflects poorly on MVP and women’s sports, which we have worked tirelessly to uplift.
"Effective immediately, Claressa Shields is banned from all MVP events until further notice.
“There is a time and a place for fighter tension and banter. But to physically attack a fellow athlete while there as a guest inside a private VIP area is unacceptable.
“MVP would like to thank venue security for their swift response in addressing and de-escalating the situation and appreciate Alycia Baumgardner not retaliating and further amplifying the situation.
"We remain committed to maintaining a safe, respectful and professional environment for all participants and attendees at our events and will continue to enforce these standards without exception."
Alycia Baumgardner also put out her own statement on the matter. Image: Getty
Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and the only female boxer in history to have held all four major world titles, is undefeated with a record of 18-0.
She and Baumgardner have never fought despite previous negotiations but Shields has accused her of using performance-enhancing drugs and slammed her performances in the ring.
They also had an April 2024 altercation when Shields smacked Baumgardner's hand and they were involved in an intense verbal confrontation.
Baumgardner has also responded to the controversy with a lengthy statement where she accused the self-proclaimed 'GWOAT' of "physical assault without provocation" and said the situation will be "handled legally and professionally".
The undisputed junior lightweight champion also provided a character assassination of Shields, who she said "continues to embarrass women's sports" with her conduct.
"When your purpose is to elevate, there will always be people who attempt to pull you down to the level from which they operate," she wrote on X.
"The situation that occurred on Saturday was unprovoked and entirely consistent with the individual involved. While attending Most Valuable Promotions' inaugural MMA event as a guest, I was physically assaulted without provocation. This behavior follows a continued pattern from someone who has publicly celebrated other fighters' brain injuries, initiated one-sided altercations at press conferences, and consistently displayed hostility toward other women. That conduct is unacceptable and should not be tolerated in any professional sport.
"This behavior reflects a repeated pattern of hostility, chaos, and attention-seeking conduct that continues to embarrass women's sports.
"This situation has been and will continue to be handled legally and professionally.
"My focus remains far beyond individuals who lack discipline, professionalism, and self-control — inside or outside the ring.
"I have spent my career representing myself, my family, and the sport of boxing with class, integrity, and respect. I will continue to do so.
"I want to congratulate Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix on an event that continues to raise the ceiling for women's combat sports, and I look forward to continuing to be a positive force in the evolution of the sport."
- Josh Lawless
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| Photo/Shutterstock |
Bad Bunny is coming! On September 28, during halftime for Sunday Night Football, the NFL and Roc Nation announced that the Debí Tirar Más Fotos musician will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show, which will take place on February 8 at the Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Bad Bunny has performed at the Super Bowl once before, previously making a cameo during Jennifer Lopez and Shakira's Halftime Show in 2020 — but he'll be the headline performer for the first time ever for the 2026 event. “@badbunnypr is bringing Puerto Rico to the world’s biggest stage,” the official Apple Music account shared on Instagram.
“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself,” the Puerto Rican singer, whose given name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, shared in a statement. “It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown… this is for my people, my culture and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL.”
The 2025 Halftime Show, which was headlined by Kendrick Lamar, was watched by over 133 million viewers — higher than the viewership of the actual game itself. Fans of the the global superstar are thrilled to see Benito take on one of the world's biggest stages. But some people are less than excited about the 2026 performer, and took to social media to spout racist backlash, criticizing the musician's political stance and the fact that most of his music is in Spanish, not English.
“Football is an AMERICAN game, we’ve been trying to kick out illegals for YEARS. This will just bring them in,” one xenophobe wrote in the volatile comments section of Bad Bunny's Instagram collab announcement post with the NFL, Roc Nation, and Apple Music. “Will there be subtitles? Asking for 90% of the country,” wrote another Instagram user.
But for every racist or xenophobic comment on Instagram about Bad Bunny's global fan base, there were hundreds more praising the decision. “I hope he doesn’t utter a single word of English the entire show! LET’S GO, BAD BUNNY!” commented one fan. “The racism in this comment section is wild. Way too normalized. Bad Bunny is one of the top 3 most famous artists in this damn world. Yall can zip it,” chimed in another. (It's true: Bad Bunny has been ranked as one of the top three most-streamed artists on Spotify since 2019 and was the most-streamed artist from 2020 to 2022.)
The criticism continued on X, however, with conservative pundits accusing the NFL of “self-destructing” and making “the Super Bowl political," referencing Ocasio's previous comments about ICE and President Donald Trump; ICYMI, Bad Bunny chose not to tour in the United States after the release of Debí Tirar Más Fotos because of ongoing ICE raids.
“There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the US, and none of them were out of hate—I’ve performed there many times,” he explained to i-D magazine earlier this month. “All of [the shows] have been successful. All of them have been magnificent. I’ve enjoyed connecting with Latinos who have been living in the U.S."
“But specifically, for a residency here in Puerto Rico, when we are an unincorporated territory of the U.S.,” Ocasio continued, "People from the U.S. could come here to see the show. Latinos and Puerto Ricans of the United States could also travel here, or to any part of the world. But there was the issue of like, f*cking ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”
- TEEN VOGUE
Some of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.’s biggest fights have come against the scale, but the second-generation fighter didn’t have issues making the cruiserweight limit ahead of his 10-round clash against Jake Paul on Saturday.
Paul (11-1, 7 KOs) weighed 199.4 pounds, while Chavez (54-6-1, 34 KOs) tipped the scales at a career-high 198.4 pounds on Friday ahead of their fight at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Paul and Chavez faced off without incident for MVP and Golden Boy’s co-promoted event, which will stream on DAZN PPV beginning at 5 p.m. PST.
Chavez came into the weigh-in having missed weight in high-profile fights (and losses) in recent years against Anderson Silva and Daniel Jacobs, and other times before that, in a career that started in 2003.
Chavez has been competing as a cruiserweight since 2021, and the besmirched boxer is 8-4 dating back to 2012, when he was an undefeated middleweight title holder at the time. But at 39, a faded Chavez is promising a rejuvenated version of himself to regain respect with a turn-back-the-clock-like performance.
Paul, meanwhile, is looking to use Chavez as a stepping stone to get ranked and chase a world title run.
In the co-main event, WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (47-1, 30 KOs), from Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, weighed in at 199.8 pounds, while Miami-based Cuban challenger Yuniel Dorticos (27-2, 25 KOs) weighed 198.6 pounds.
Ramirez seeks to cement his status in the division with his first stoppage win in the weight class as a possible unification fight looms against Jai Opetaia.
Welterweights; 10 rounds
Raul Curiel (15-0-1, 13 KOs) 146.4 pounds; Guadalajara, Jalisco
Victor Rodriguez (16-0-1, 9 KOs) 145.2 pounds; Maldonado, Uruguay
Welterweights; 10 rounds
Avious Griffin (17-0, 16 KOs) 146.8 pounds; Chattanooga, Tennessee
Julian Rodriguez (23-1, 14 KOs) 146.6 pounds; Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey
Lightweights; 10 rounds
Floyd Schofield Jr. (18-0, 12 KOs) 134.8 pounds; Austin, Texas
Tevin Farmer (33-8-1, 8 KOs) 135 pounds; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
DAZN will stream the preliminary action to its subscribers beginning at 12 p.m. PST, and the non-PPV card will be headlined by former three-division champion and UFC champion Holly Holm, who is making her return to boxing after a 12-year break.
Lightweights; 10 rounds
Holly Holm (33-2-3, 9 KOs) 136.6 pounds; Albuquerque, New Mexico
Yolanda Vega (10-0, 1 KO) 136.8 pounds; Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico
Welterweights; 8 rounds
Joel Iriarte (7-0, 7 KOs) 146.8 pounds; Bakersfield, California
Kevin Johnson (12-6, 8 KOs) 146.4 pounds; Las Vegas, Nevada
Bantamweights; 8 rounds
Alexander Gueche (7-0, 5 KOs) 124 pounds; Long Beach, California
Vincent Avina (8-1-1, 7 KOs) 120 pounds; Las Vegas, Nevada
Heavyweights; 6 rounds
Joshua Edwards (2-0, 2 KOs) 226 pounds; Houston, Texas
Dominic Hardy (6-3, 4 KOs) 251.4 pounds; Riverside, Illinois
Junior Lightweights; 10 rounds
Victor Morales (20-0-1, 10 KOs) 130 pounds; Vancouver, Washington
Renee Alvarado (34-16, 22 KOs) 129.6 pounds; Managua, Nicaragua
Junior Featherweights; 10 rounds
John “Scrappy” Ramirez (14-1, 9 KOs) 119.8 pounds; Los Angeles, California
Josue Jesus Morales (33-18-5, 14 KOs) 121.6 pounds; Houston, Texas
- MANOUK AKOPYAN
Julio César Chávez Jr. is ready to step in and defend Mike Tyson's honor ... telling TMZ Sports he plans to whoop Jake Paul in the ring in June to avenge the boxing legend.
Remember, Paul -- 11-1 as a pro boxer -- beat Tyson by unanimous decision in an eight-round bout in November 2024, the most watched fight ever.
Chávez, a former middleweight world champion, will have his chance to get some payback for Iron Mike on June 28 ... when he faces Paul at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
And best believe that's the goal.
"I wanna take revenge for Mike Tyson," César Chávez Jr. told us from his boxing gym in L.A. "When I saw the fight, my first thought was, I wanna fight Jake Paul."
On paper, it's a challenging fight for Paul ... who only has 12 professional fights in his short career.
- TMZ Sports
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| Reuters |
Brazil manager Dorival Junior criticised the decision to book Vinícius Júnior during their 1-1 Copa América draw with Colombia on Tuesday, which will see the Real Madrid forward miss his team's quarterfinal clash with Uruguay.
Winger Raphinha put Brazil ahead in the 12th minute in Santa Clara, California, before Daniel Muñoz levelled before half-time, for a result which saw Colombia top Group D ahead of Brazil in second.
Brazil will now play contenders Uruguay in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, while Colombia have a theoretically easier tie with Panama.
Vinicius was handed a yellow card for appearing to strike Colombia's James Rodríguez early in the match, and now faces a one-game suspension after picking up two cards in the group stage.
''It's a situation that happened in the game," Dorival Junior said when asked about Vinícius' booking. "In the first move, which was accidental for me, he ended up getting the first card. Everything that happened was very strange.
"Recently I heard that Brazil had to learn to play without their big players. I think it's time ... Vini happens to be out, and unfortunately we lost Neymar [to injury before the tournament]. We have to learn that at times, others will have to appear. We'll have a difficult game against Uruguay."
"Vini is a top player who can win games for us," full-back Danilo added. "But we have other players with a lot of quality and potential, and let's try to make up for Vini's absence."
Brazil were also unhappy with referee Jesus Valenzuela's failure to award them a penalty for Muñoz's challenge on Vinícius inside the box before half-time, five minutes before the Colombia defender made it 1-1.
"At that moment, it would have been 2-0," Dorival Junior said. "With the speed we have, the team we have, a scoreline of 2-0 is very different to 1-0. For me, it was decisive.
"Especially because inside the stadium, only he [the referee] and the VAR team didn't see the penalty. Brazil were once again put at a disadvantage."
Brazil have been unhappy with various aspects of the competition's organisation so far, with Vinícius outspoken in his criticism of officials, playing conditions and organisers CONMEBOL.
"The Copa America is always difficult because of the pitches, because of the referees -- who always go against us -- and because of the way CONMEBOL treats people," Vinícius said after Brazil's 4-1 group win over Paraguay. "It's always difficult, but we have to stay strong. We can only talk by winning. When we talk, CONMEBOL say we talk too much."
- Alex Kirkland, ESPN FC
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| USA TODAY Sports |
The National Football League must pay more than $4.7 billion in class-action damages for overcharging subscribers of its “Sunday Ticket” telecasts, a California federal jury said on Thursday.
Jurors in Los Angeles agreed with the plaintiffs that the NFL conspired with member teams to artificially inflate the price of "Sunday Ticket" for millions of residential and commercial subscribers.
The jury awarded $4.6 billion to a residential class, and $96 million to commercial subscribers such as bars and restaurants, according to an attorney for the plaintiffs.
A judge could award triple damages under U.S. antitrust law, bringing the total judgment to more than $14 billion.
The NFL in a statement said it was disappointed by the jury's verdict. "We will certainly contest this decision as we believe that the class action claims in this case are baseless and without merit," it said.
The NFL earlier this week asked the court to rule for the league and its teams as a matter of law, which could nullify the verdict.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs in a statement on Thursday said: "We are pleased with today’s result on behalf of the classes we represent."
The trial, which began on June 5, capped more than a decade of litigation over the "Sunday Ticket" telecasts.
The subscribers accused the NFL of using agreements with broadcast partners to keep a stranglehold over distribution, allowing DirecTV to charge artificially higher prices as the former sole distributor of "Sunday Ticket."
A residential subscription to "Sunday Ticket," which is the only broadcast option for fans to watch out-of-market games, now costs as much as $449 through its current distributor, Google's YouTube. DirecTV and Google were not defendants in the trial.
DirecTV is owned by AT&T (T.N) and Google is owned by Alphabet (GOOGL.O).
The plaintiffs claimed that "Sunday Ticket" prices were inflated to limit subscriptions and protect distribution rights fees that CBS (PARA.O) and Fox (FOXA.O) paid to air games in local markets.
The NFL denied any wrongdoing and argued that "Sunday Ticket" is a "premium" product that expands viewers' access to games, which are already broadcast for free on local networks.
The plaintiffs are DirecTV subscribers who bought "NFL Sunday Ticket" between June 2011 and February 2023. The case includes at least 2.4 million residential customers and 48,000 commercial subscribers like bars and restaurants, according to court records.
- Mike Scarcella
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A brawl broke out between members of Nate Diaz's and Jorge Masvidal's teams during a news conference for their July 6 boxing match after Diaz abruptly left before faceoffs.
The news conference took place in Anaheim, California, to promote the new date and location for the upcoming Diaz-Masvidal fight. The boxing match was originally scheduled for June 1 at the Kia Forum in Inglewood but was relocated to the Honda Center in Anaheim on July 6.
Tensions were already high between the two fighters, who last met in the UFC for the inaugural BMF championship in 2019. The highly anticipated encounter ended on a sour note when a doctor stopped the fight because of a cut over Diaz's eye. Masvidal was awarded the victory and was the first BMF champion, but the two fighters have had lingering issues since then that they looked to settle inside of a boxing ring. But Diaz appeared completely uninterested in participating in Thursday's news conference.
"I'm done with this whole press conference s---," a visibly annoyed Diaz said. "I'm glad we're here promoting these great fights that are happening, but, besides that, my work here is done."
Diaz got up and began making his exit before organizers asked for him to return to face off with Masvidal. The Stockton, California, fighter returned to the stage, flexed briefly for the cameras and left before Masvidal could meet him. The two exchanged words and both teams swarmed in.
As the situation intensified, a member of Diaz's team threw a punch at Masvidal after the Cuban fighter slapped at him. One of Masvidal's boxing coaches, Jorge Capetillo, responded with a punch of his own and a brawl ensued between members of both teams. Masvidal emerged after security restored order and didn't appear to have suffered any injuries during the fight. Diaz didn't seem to have participated in the brawl and wasn't seen in any of the videos that have surfaced on social media.
- Andreas Hale, ESPN
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| AP Photo |
The 150th Kentucky Derby is missing horse racing’s household name: Bob Baffert.
The Hall of Fame trainer with a record-tying six victories won't be saddling a contender in Saturday's Run for the Roses for the third consecutive year.
Last July, Baffert had another year tacked on to his two-year suspension by Churchill Downs Inc., which was set to expire in 2023. The additional punishment came despite no positive drug or medication tests involving the 71-year-old trainer's horses during that time.
CDI imposed the original penalty after Baffert’s 2021 Derby winner, Medina Spirit, flunked a post-race drug test. The colt tested positive for a legal medication that isn’t allowed on race day in Kentucky. Medina Spirit was later disqualified.
That led to two years of lawsuits, but Baffert failed in his attempts to be reinstated by Churchill Downs or have Medina Spirit’s victory restored. In January, Baffert said he was dropping his legal challenges against CDI. His move didn't thaw the frosty relations between the two sides.
“A trainer who is unwilling to accept responsibility for multiple drug test failures in our highest-profile races cannot be trusted to avoid future misconduct,” CDI said in extending the suspension. “Mr. Baffert will remain suspended from entering horses at all racetracks owned by CDI through 2024. After such time, we will re-evaluate his status.”
The suspension prevented any Baffert horse from accumulating Derby qualifying points, which decide the 20-horse field for the race.
Did Baffert have horses in the last two Derbies?
Technically, no.
The last two years, the owners of Baffert's top contenders transferred their horses to another trainer so they could run in the Derby. But this year, in evidence of their loyalty to Baffert, none of them did so.
Owner Amr Zedan made a last-ditch effort to try to get Arkansas Derby winner Muth into the 150th Derby. He sued in early April.
However, the Kentucky Court of Appeals recently denied a motion for a temporary injunction that would have allowed Muth into the race despite the suspension of Baffert, who was not a party to the lawsuit.
Zedan owned Medina Spirit, who died after a workout in December 2021. No definitive cause of death was found.
Has the suspension affected Baffert's career?
Not really. Despite hits to his reputation, Baffert is still highly sought out by deep-pocketed owners eager to have him train their high-priced horses. However, being shut out of the Derby has to sting since he has always been effusive about the first Saturday in May and considers it the pinnacle of the sport.
He won the Preakness last year with National Treasure, his 17th victory in a Triple Crown race. Earlier that day, one of his horses was injured in a race on the undercard and had to be euthanized. He had purse earnings of over $12.6 million for the year.
He won the $12 million Dubai World Cup with Country Grammer in 2022.
What's next?
Some wags are calling it Kentucky Derby 149 1/2 in a nod to the absence of Baffert's talented colts. As a result, some believe the stronger race will be the Preakness on May 18.
Baffert can enter horses in the Preakness and the Belmont at Saratoga on June 8. He nominated 18 horses to the Triple Crown series, so any of them are eligible for the last two legs.
Among his top prospects are Muth and Imagination, the Santa Anita Derby runner-up. Both have been training at Santa Anita in California ahead of their next starts.
- BETH HARRIS
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| ESPN via AP |
Chris Mortensen, the award-winning journalist who covered the NFL for close to four decades, including 32 as a senior analyst at ESPN, died Sunday morning. He was 72.
ESPN confirmed Mortensen’s death on Sunday. There was no immediate word on the cause or place of death.
“Mort was widely respected as an industry pioneer and universally beloved as a supportive, hardworking teammate,” ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “He covered the NFL with extraordinary skill and passion, and was at the top of his field for decades. He will truly be missed by colleagues and fans, and our hearts and thoughts are with his loved ones.”
Mortensen announced in 2016 that he he had been diagnosed with throat cancer. Even while undergoing treatment, he was the first to confirm the retirement of Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning.
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| Jalen Milroe. AP Photo |
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Jalen Milroe helped rally Alabama with his legs and put the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide on the verge of its seventh appearance in the College Football Playoff championship game.
The dynamic quarterback was denied at the very end.
With the Crimson Tide needing a touchdown and facing fourth-and-goal from the Michigan 3-yard line in overtime, Milroe tried to go up the middle, but was stopped by Josaiah Stewart for a 1-yard gain, giving the top-ranked Wolverines a 27-20 victory in the 110th Rose Bowl on Monday.
“At the end of the day I just trusted the guys up front for believing in me on the last play to have the ball, and unfortunately we just missed and we just didn’t get in the end zone,” said Milroe, who accounted for 179 yards rushing and passing.
After both teams used their timeouts, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees called a quarterback run, which coach Nick Saban said was one of the two 2-point conversion plays they had installed for the game.
