標籤: appearance

armory Star Victor Gyckeres has played down any injury or fitness concerns after playing in Sweden’s 2-2 draw with Greece on Thursday.

football scandal report comments More from his surprise appearance in the game today, considering he played in the Champions League final only a week ago.

from arsenal to sweden

Given the Gunners’ run to the Champions League final, the Arsenal forward was expected to miss Sweden’s friendly matches ahead of the World Cup. At least, he wasn’t expected to start.

Instead, he started the game and scored after playing 63 minutes before being replaced by Graham Potter.

This came with its own risks as he was involved in a nerve-wracking moment when he was cut from behind in a scenario that could have had serious consequences. Luckily, he is fine and insists that everything is fine fitness-wise too.

“It’s fun to come back and play with the guys again,” he said.

“It feels good in my body, and I feel in good physical shape. So I thought it was good to get some match minutes in my legs. There’s some time in the World Cup premiere. So, it might be needed.”

world cup plans

Luckily for Sweden, the striker was in good form as he scored one of their two goals in a 2–2 draw. However, surprisingly his famous celebration was nowhere to be seen.

He admits it was a conscious decision. He’s saving his trademark for the big World Cup games.

“I’m saving it for the World Cup,” he said.

“I haven’t done this whenever we’ve lost. It’s happened before that I didn’t do it then. And it was a friendly match too. But I can do it later in the hotel.”

arsenal fest

The 28-year-old goes into the tournament on the back of a successful first season with Arsenal following his move from Sporting Club de Portugal last summer.

Although the goals may not have flowed as freely as they did in Portugal, he still finished the campaign with 21 in all competitions. And, crucially, also a Premier League title. For him, celebration is something he wants to experience again.

He concluded, “We didn’t get many hours of sleep as we drove back to London. After the parade I was a little tired. But it was super fun to experience it.”

“I got a tremendous amount of energy from all the fans. It was a special experience that I would love to do again.”

After hosting both nights of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, John Cena went to X to hint at some of the actions for Backlash weekend in Tampa on May 9.

“My business could be at WWE Backlash,” Cena wrote. “Sadly, the years have flown by. I’m still trying to do something epic in Tampa for 5/9. I promised Club WWE something special… stay tuned.”

Whatever he’s planning for Tampa won’t involve in-ring competition, which is in line with his retirement from active wrestling in December. Specific details about what he promised Club WWE members are unknown, but the language he used – “something epic” – indicates it’s more than a casual appearance.

Cena retired from in-ring competition after losing to Gunther in the main event of Saturday Night Live in December, before returning to WWE television as host of WrestleMania 42. There have been notable changes to the Backlash card since WrestleMania 42.

A previously planned tag team match pitting Pat McAfee and Randy Orton against Cody Rhodes and Jelly Roll has been pulled from the show. According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, McAfee opted out of the arena following negative fan reaction to Rhodes and Orton’s involvement at the WrestleMania 42 event, a direction driven by TKO CEO Ari Emanuel rather than WWE creative itself.

McAfee honored the stipulation he made before WrestleMania – that if Orton failed to win the title he would leave wrestling forever – by announcing on his ESPN show that his time in wrestling was over.

Backlash 2026 will take place on Sunday, May 9 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, streaming live on the ESPN app in the United States.

This weekend opened the door for “Stone Cold” Steve Austin to make an intriguing appearance at WrestleMania 42.

The idea of ​​Austin appearing on WWE content always generates a large amount of interest due to his fan base, and that’s rare. Since his sudden retirement in 2003, the wrestling icon has made only sporadic appearances for the brand after serving as general manager for a few months in the same year.

However, he made his spectacular return to the ring four years ago in a surprise “battle” with Kevin Owens in the Night 1 main event of WrestleMania 38. Since then he has appeared on WWE broadcasts only twice. at last year’s WWE Hall of Fame and again to make the stadium gate announcement on Night 2.

Last month there were rumors that he might appear on Monday Night Raw for the 3:16 Celebration. He didn’t. He will be at WWE World this weekend for a meet and greet session. But it’s still unclear whether he’ll be free to appear at WrestleMania on Saturday or Sunday.

Well, now there is hope. According to BodySlam+, rumors are circulating that Steve Austin will be backstage during WrestleMania. They admit that their appearance on the show is not confirmed and that they may be attending to meet some old friends. However, it would be a huge waste if he didn’t hop on an ATV and get in the ring to do something.

With John Cena set to host both nights, a fun face-off between the two retired icons could make for a very fun moment this weekend.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

The Las Vegas Raiders voluntary veteran minicamp runs April 21-23, two days before the start of the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. No one should come forward. That’s the whole purpose of calling it voluntary.

That’s why it matters so much who does it.

Clint Kubiak is a first-year head coach who inherits a roster that went 3-14 last season. He needs to know who bought him before he takes a single regular season snap. Players also know this. Coming to a voluntary camp in April, right before draft weekend, when the entire football world is looking elsewhere, is a statement. So stay at home.

Here are five Raiders whose appearance in April will tell us more than anything they said in a press conference.

1. Max Crosby

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. Crosby appeared for the first round of workouts on April 7, which was encouraging after everything that happened with the zero-Baltimore trade. But step one is meetings and raises. Minicamp is different. It’s on-field work and Crosby is still recovering from knee surgery in January to repair a torn meniscus.

His agent has said he is ahead of schedule. If Crosby is on the field, even in a limited capacity, on April 21-23, it sends a message to this locker room that goes far beyond his physical recovery. It tells every player on this roster that the guy with the most complaints about him is still the first one to come through the door. Kubiak can’t produce that kind of leadership. Either Crosby provides it, or he doesn’t.

RELATED: Las Vegas Raiders GM Jon Spytek, coach Clint Kubiak addressed Max Crosby trade fallout in NFL meetings

2. Tyree Wilson

This is the one I am watching most closely. Tyree Wilson is entering a contract year, after which the Raiders will almost certainly not pick up his fifth-year option. His draft stock coming out of Texas A&M was skyrocketing — No. 7 overall pick in 2023 — and it’s fair to say his first three NFL seasons haven’t matched that billing. He’s a rotational piece in a 3-4 defense that just added QT Pay and still keeps Crosby at the top of the depth chart.

Wilson showing up to a voluntary minicamp under a new defensive coordinator with his roster spot and his future on the line tells me he understands this moment. Staying at home will give me the opposite results. With Rob Leonard setting up a plan that requires buy-in at every level of the front seven, there’s no place to hide in this minicamp for anyone competing for snaps.

3. Cancer Cousins

Kirk Cousins ​​is getting $20 million fully guaranteed to be a bridge in front of Fernando Mendoza. He reunited with his former coordinator Kubiak, and has said all the right things publicly since signing. But before Mendoza gets into the building, what Cousins ​​does over the next few months will define how that quarterback room really plays out in 2026.

Showing up next week and throwing to receivers, working through Kubiak’s system, getting comfortable in a new offense and a new city — that’s the veteran leadership the Raiders are paying him for. Cousins ​​knows how to be professional. This is where he proves it matters in Las Vegas, just like it did everywhere else.

4. Brock Bowers

Brock Bowers returned from a PCL injury last season and still had 64 catches, 680 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games. He is 22 years old and already one of the best players in football. This minicamp isn’t about Bowers proving anything — it’s about him and Cousins ​​starting to build that chemistry between him and Cousins ​​to really make Kubiak’s offense work before training camp in July.

Kubiak is an offensive coach who loves his tight ends. Bowers is the most important offensive weapon on this roster. They’re both building relationships early — in April, before most teams get anywhere near that kind of work — getting the kind of head start that pays off in September. Bowers is showing cases. Very.

5. Jackson Powers-Johnson

Here’s one that might surprise people. Jackson Powers-Johnson was a second-round pick in 2024 who began the season on injured reserve after breaking his fibula in training camp. He bounced back and played solid football in the second half of the year and now the addition of Tyler Linderbaum at center gives the Raiders arguably the best interior offensive line they have had in years.

But Linderbaum and Powers-Johnson never played together. Cousins ​​never played behind any of them. April minicamp is the first real opportunity for that unit to begin working as a group, even in a non-contact setting. Powers-Johnson being present and engaged, working through alignments, and getting comfortable with Linderbaum next to him makes sense for an offensive line that was historically bad in 2025 and needs to be dramatically better for this offense to work.

This draft will get everyone’s attention on April 23-25. But what happens in Henderson on April 21-23 will matter just as much for where this team goes. Voluntary does not mean unimportant. In Kubiak’s first year, it means quite the opposite.

RELATED: Las Vegas Raiders 2026 NFL Draft: 5 takeaways from Jon Spytek’s pre-draft press conference

Scott Gulbransen, a quintessential expert in the field of sports journalism, serves as an editor, nfl , mlb , Formula 1 … More about Scott Gulbransen

Josh Hockitt’s bizarre attempt to draw attention to himself during the UFC 327 media event is more proof of why the company’s product is falling apart.

Fight fans are used to this industry being a little weird. While two people going into a cage or ring attracts a lot of people, you still need to promote a fight to get people to spend their hard-earned money on tickets or streaming subscriptions to see it.

In their quest to make big bucks, fight fans have come up with a lot of things to help draw attention to the upcoming fight. And over the past 10 years, some UFC fighters have gone to strange and ugly places to promote their fights. However, on Wednesday, Josh Hockitt went to a silly spot in an attempt to draw interest for his return at UFC 327 this weekend.

Instead of the usual media day tradition of taking questions from the mixed martial arts media, the 28-year-old decided to deliver a pro wrestling-style promo while wearing his trademark American flag bandana and sunglasses. Although there have been UFC fighters in the past who have delivered some excellent wrestling promos (see: Chael Sonnen), Hokit has provided something truly bizarre.

While playing the character “The Incredible Hoke”, he was breathing heavily, rhyming, and at one point began talking like a child. However, this was not the end of it. The UFC heavyweight then changed character, began using a Mexican-American accent and wore a knit cap over his eyes.

🚨🤯Jiri Prochazka and Josh Hockitt were involved in a heated altercation backstage during UFC 327 media day.

Jiri told him: “Dude, stay where you are.”

While Hokit responded: “I’ll cut you down homie. And sew your head on Alex Pereira’s body.”

(via: @gifdsports ) pic.twitter.com/MAvKF1zFiq

– Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) 8 April 2026

Additionally, in an effort to become the star of the UFC 327 media day, he tried to set up a one-on-one confrontation with Jiri Prochazka, one of the main event participants of the evening. Video of the strange scene can be found above.

Hockit’s strange behavior has been condemned by UFC fans and analysts alike. But it still highlights one of the company’s many content issues that have been worsening lately.

Only UFC is to blame for Josh Hockitt

Hokit, attempting to make a name for himself, is no stranger to promotion. The UFC has long been questioned for its ability to create stars. So in many cases over the last few decades, fighters have taken the lead in becoming household names.

This was a highly effective start to the 2010s for Chael Sonnen. In the late 2010s, former two-division champion and company icon Conor McGregor took it even further and became an international superstar due to his courageous and flamboyant personality. After him, Colby Covington rubbed many people the wrong way by creating a champion for MAGA leaning fans. Then, in recent years, former middleweight champion Sean Strickland has built a brand apart from xenophobic and sexist views.

However, they could back it up in the ring and had varying levels of charisma. This is not the case for most fighters, and many of them feel that they need to go to absurd lengths to gain notoriety and try to squeeze all the opportunities and money out of the sport.

The fight promotion style that the UFC has long nurtured is now going to strange places, but that’s not the company’s only problem.

Is the UFC losing its cool factor?

Over the years, as the company has tried to hold events almost every weekend, the quality of the product has declined.

Fans are complaining more and more about weak cards and weak main events. Making matters worse, while the Paramount+ era is better financially for fans, the UFC is much less willing to spend big bucks to make big fights if they can’t use pay-per-view points to make deals.

PPVs are no longer an option, the UFC prefers to be cheap and it has become much more difficult to compete with elite stars like McGregor, Ronda Rousey, Jon Jones, Ilya Topuria or Islam Makhachev. So top talent competes less now. This has created a disappointing situation for the fans of the company.

The talent pool is shrinking, it’s going to stupid places for self-promotion, and the quality of UFC events has diminished. The UFC has a historic card on the White House lawn in June that’s just good rather than great. Although the company has grown considerably in recent years, it is still not as good as it was four or five years ago.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

The Charlotte Hornets are comfortably in a play-in spot in the Eastern Conference this season, but given the home-court advantage they’ve been getting from the Spectrum Center recently, the seventh seed could be advantageous to get a decisive game on their court. x According to a release from the team, previously released via Twitter, Charlotte is just 18-17 at home this season, but the recent increased interest from fans has been notable.

Hornets PR posted, “With a sellout crowd of 19,450 tonight, the Hornets have now sold out nine-straight games at the Spectrum Center and have a total of 19 sellouts on the season.”

The hornets sit in the middle of the pack this season, which is a far cry from two years ago, when they were last dead. This reflects the impact of an exciting young team, led by LaMelo Ball, who is breaking records and playing a fun brand of basketball for Charlotte.

Charlotte defeated the struggling Sacramento Kings by 44 points on Tuesday night, but it’s not like they’re only having success against lower-tier players. The Hornets also have impressive wins against the Memphis Grizzlies, Orlando Magic, and Miami Heat on this homestand. Specifically, the Magic and Heat are two potential opponents for the Hornets in the play-in tournament.

The Hornets conclude their seven-game homestand with games against the New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics. If they can continue their winning ways against some of those teams, it may be time to start a more serious conversation about their prospects in the Eastern Conference.

Tony Khan made it clear in the AEW Revolution post-show media scrum that Ronda Rousey has an open door at All Elite Wrestling. Khan spoke about her relationship with Rousey, pointed to their previous work in Ring of Honor, and confirmed that she personally invited her to her upcoming fight against Gina Carano.

Khan addressed the topic directly during the discussion, saying, “Ronda Rousey is a huge star. We have a great relationship with her. She’s wrestled for me in ROH before, and she’s always welcome here in AEW any time.

“She’s going to have a big fight against Gina Carano. I don’t know Gina Carano at all. Ronda has always been very good to me. I wish her all the best. Ronda is always welcome here, and anyone from AEW who wants to get in that fight is welcome. Ronda can invite some people. Ronda invited me to the fight tonight. So I think so. It looks like we’ll be there.”

Rousey previously competed in ROH, which operates under the AEW umbrella, so her familiarity with Khan’s organizations is already established. Khan’s comments suggest that relations between the two are in good shape, and his willingness to get personally involved in their fight underlines this. Rousey faces Gina Carano in the upcoming bout, although Khan said she has no personal acquaintance with Carano.

Rousey’s direct access to Khan and her extensive overtures to AEW talent indicate that she maintains an active relationship with the promotion. However, one question remains. What happens with this is what fans want to know.

Whether this translates into an in-ring return at some point remains to be seen, but Khan’s comments clearly leave the door open. With WrestleMania 42 weekend and a busy spring schedule for AEW, any future Rousey appearance will draw plenty of attention. Perhaps, both sides can reach a compromise.

There was a new face for the Washington Wizards as they hosted the Houston Rockets at Capital One Arena on Monday. However, WNBA star Angel Reese may be quite familiar with them.

His brother, Julian Reese, made his debut for the Wizards after spending the season with the Capital City Go-Go’s in the G League.

He started the game but could not score. first bucket Till the third quarter. It was certainly memorable as he did it against two-time All-Star Alpern Sengun.

Julian Reese made his presence felt inside as he got a chance to drop in for his first NBA bucket. pic.twitter.com/aP0Us17ajI https://t.co/jywZiRlzFf

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 3 March 2026

The Wizards lost to the Rockets, 123–118. The 22-year-old Reese finished with two points, four rebounds, three steals and four turnovers in 28 minutes.

Although there were obvious nerves, he showed some potential to be a contributor, especially on defense, given his size and length. Perhaps he could take advice from his older sister on how to improve his rebounding.

The elder Reese, who is dating Orlando Magic’s Wendell Carter Jr., expressed how thrilled she was for her younger brother when he signed a contract. two-way contract With magicians. He went undrafted out of Maryland in 2025.

“My baby brother. Ouch, I’m so proud of you! Your journey has never been easy, and you’ve always stuck to your path! Let’s go, JuJu!” Reese, 23, wrote on X.

My dear brother🥺oops, I’m so proud of you! Your journey was never easy and you always stayed the course! Come on JuJu! 🥳🙏🏽 @reese10julian https://t.co/6b6OloTHeo

– Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) 28 February 2026

They were born only a year apart, so it’s no surprise that they have a close relationship. Basketball is in his blood, as both his parents played professionally overseas.

With the Wizards in tanking mode, many players have been given opportunities on the floor. In addition to Reese, guys like Will Riley, Sharife Cooper, Jameer Watkins and Jaden Hardy have enjoyed playing.

The Dallas Mavericks are scheduled to face the Brooklyn Nets on the road Tuesday, but that could be up in the air. Following the team’s game against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, the Mavericks stayed overnight in Indiana due to severe weather storms that hit the New York area. Although nothing has been announced yet regarding the games, Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg’s Jimmy Fallon Show appearance is in doubt.

Cooper Flagg was scheduled to appear on the Jimmy Fallon show on Monday night during the Mavericks’ visit to New York before their game against the Nets. But according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News, his appearance was canceled because the team could not travel to New York after the Pacers game.

It is currently unknown whether Flagg’s appearance on the show will be rescheduled. The Mavericks have already made their only trip to Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks, and this is their only trip to see the Nets.

In any case, Flagg’s pending appearance on the show is proof that he is one of the rising faces of the NBA. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft has been one of the frontrunners for the flag league’s Rookie of the Year award. His only competition is Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel.

Flagg is currently dealing with a foot injury, and has not played since the Mavericks season resumed after the All-Star break.

He has appeared in 49 games this season, a little over 34 minutes per game. Flagg averaged 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.2 steals, shooting 48.2 percent from the field, 30.2 percent from the field and 80.4 percent from the free-throw line.

The Mavericks are currently 20-36, and are in 12th place in the Western Conference standings. Their win against the Pacers on Sunday broke their 10-match losing streak.

On Sunday evening, NBA All-Star weekend concluded with the big game (or games in this case) at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Among those who kicked off the event was Philadelphia 76ers star guard Tyrese Maxey, who is enjoying a great 2025-26 season so far this year.

This was Maxi’s second All-Star nomination of his career, having previously returned to the team in 2024, and recently, the difference the star saw between this time and his first outing was 100% real.

According to Gina Mizell of the Enquirer, Maxi said, “I feel very little out of place.” “[Two years ago, I] Was nervous. This is your first time. You don’t know when to talk, when not to talk. Now I go into my team’s locker room, I was the second oldest guy. “I played against guys who were like that growing up, and it was really fun to be in the locker room.”

In fact, Maxey has played a veteran role not only in the All-Star Game, but also on the 76ers, serving as a mentor to rookie sensation VJ Edgecombe so far this year.

Maxey and Edgecomb have teamed up to create one of the most explosive backcourts anywhere in the NBA, destroying opposing defenses with his lightning speed and ability to make tough shots from the perimeter.

Maxey and the 76ers will be hoping that Joel Embiid is able to stay at least somewhat healthy during the 2025-26 season, and Paul George is able to return to form after serving the remainder of his 25-game suspension.

If things like that happen, and Maxey and Edgecombe continue their torrid pace from the first half of the year, the 76ers won’t be an opponent anyone will want to see come playoff time.

The 76ers next face off on Thursday evening at home against the Atlanta Hawks.