TKO board member Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will not be attending the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House after he reportedly turned down the invitation from UFC President Dana White.
White invited several celebrities to be part of the event where they would be sitting on the South Lawn to watch the special card. Among those invited include Adam Sandler, Guy Ritchie, Tom Brady, Jared Leto, Jason Statham, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Mario Lopez.
Someone close to Johnson told Vanity Fair that the former WWE champion will not be attending the event, and several others who were invited also turned it down.
UFC Freedom 250 is a huge event for the UFC and TKO, with the company expected to take a $30 million hit once it’s all said and done. The event is set to cost $60 million, with TKO hoping to recover at least half of it through sponsorships and other donations.
President Trump has been given 1,000 tickets to hand out while White and TKO chief Ari Emanuel have 200 each.
UFC Freedom 250 takes place on June 14, 2026 and airs on Paramount+, with a limited number of preliminary bouts also broadcast on CBS.
Bloomberg Law is reporting that the upcoming WWE shareholders lawsuit has been taken off the schedule. It was set to start on Monday, June 8.
An attorney for the shareholders, Greg Varallo of Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP, said late Friday afternoon that the trial was no longer on the Delaware Chancery Court’s calendar and declined to elaborate when asked for a reason.
Vince McMahon, Nick Khan, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Stephanie McMahon, Ari Emanuel, and others were all scheduled to testify in the case.
The lawsuit was seeking hundreds of millions in dollars in damages after shareholders accused WWE of discarding other potential bidders in favor of a deal with Endeavor which led to the creation of TKO.
The suit claims that McMahon only chose Endeavor and his friend Ari Emanuel because he knew that he could keep control over WWE after he sold, something that wasn’t the case with other bidders.
It could be that TKO found an out-of-court settlement with shareholders just days before the trial.
Chad Gable made his first WWE appearance under his name in a very long time last night on Smackdown in Bologna, Italy.
Gable was shown having a meeting with Smackdown General Manager Nick Aldis and later apologized to Rey Fenix for the stuff he did as El Grande Americano, saying that he only donned the mask to poke fun at people like him because luchadores were giving him a hard time in the ring.
He said that at WrestleMania last year, the two had a great match but he did it under false pretense.
He added that the longer he wore the mask and spent time in Mexico, it dawned on him that this was no longer a joke but a sense of responsibility to the culture, to the art form, and to the people of Mexico.
Gable asked for forgiveness, and Fenix forgave him, but told Gable that he was not the only one that he needed to apologize to.
The Clearwater Police Department in Florida has closed the investigation into the death of Hulk Hogan and released its 72-page report yesterday.
“Following an exhaustive review of the statements, medical records, surveillance footage from within the residence, and a visual inspection of Mr. Bollea’s body, there has been no evidence to indicate the death of Terry Bollea was anything other than natural,” the report states.
“Through the course of the investigation, there has been no evidence to indicate any criminal wrongdoing related to his death. This case will be closed, and will be considered solved, non-criminal,” it concluded.
The police department also released police bodycam footage that included an interview with occupational therapist Justin McCamey, a person who was at the scene when Hogan died.
According to the report, the WWE Hall of Famer passed away “exclusively from compelling natural disease, with no reasonable traumatic or terminal toxicologic contributions. As such, the manner of death is also natural.”
Hogan died on July 24, 2025 in his home in Clearwater, Florida and was pronounced dead at Morgan Plant Hospital at 11:17AM after attempts to resuscitate him were not successful.
This week’s episode of Dynamite drew 638,000 viewers, down 66,000 viewers from the previous week. The show went head-to-head with the NBA finals. Dynamite had a 0.11 rating in 18-49, down 0.04 from the prior episode and was #3 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)
Two more advanced to the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments yesterday on Smackdown.
Raquel Rodriguez was the first to punch her ticket to the next round after she defeated Jacy Jayne, Kiana James, and Bayley in the fatal four-way match.
The Judgment Day member now faces Iyo Sky in the semi final and could potentially advance to meet fellow JD member Liv Morgan if Morgan advances.
Over in the King of the Ring tournament, AAA Mega champion Dominik Mysterio also moved on to the semis, beating United States champion Trick Williams, Bron Breakker, and Damian Priest.
Mysterio now have a very hard task in the semi final as he faces Oba Femi.
The next King and Queen of the Ring matches continue on Raw.
NXT this week drew 556,000 viewers, up 22,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast but remaining below the average of 2026. The show had a 0.07 rating in 18-49, up 0.02 from the previous episode. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)
LA Knight sat down with Chris Van Vliet in Stamford, Connecticut to discuss winning the United States Championship, brawling with AJ Styles at the WrestleMania 40 media day, what if he joined WWE 10 years ago, how he became the Slim Jim guy, how much longer he intends to wrestle, possible retirement, eliminating Brock Lesnar from the Royal Rumble, and more!
I was at the press day when you and AJ Styles were fighting. You were next to each other:
“I walked into the room and I’m shooting him looks, and he might have said some stuff. He’s doing his interview, I was talking to somebody else. So, whoever I was talking to, while I was doing that, AJ is over here behind me. I’d given looks, and he’d referenced me, and I’d looked over there. But at some point AJ tossed a stool in my direction, and at that point all I’m thinking is, again, the depth of the story we had told up to now. I’m like, there’s no way I wouldn’t react if he throws his stool at me. What am I going to do? I’m going to fight him. So I go over and just start fighting him, and I’m thinking surely security is going to come and break this up real quick, and it just went on and on. We’re down there work-shooting, and he’s knocking me away, because we got to make it look good now, because we’re like in the people. I’m like, where the f*ck is security? What is taking so long? Then finally, because we’re both blown up at this point. But yeah, it was just literally going off the cuff. How do I not serve the story that we’ve told this whole time, even to where he’s serving it now, just by throwing the stool. Obviously, I’m sure he wasn’t intending to get to where it got to, but in my head, I’m like, I have gone to his house to fight him. He throws a stool at me from five feet away. What am I going to do? Just shrug it off? No! So I went over there, thinking security is going to take care of it. They didn’t. I mean they did finally, but yeah, it took a minute, and so I hit that, he slammed the sh*t out of me, and he ended up with a bloody nose. After that we both got a phone call, though, ‘What are you guys doing? You can’t do that.’ It was like, hey, I’m trying to keep it alive, I’m trying.”
It works so well for the story:
“That was the thing, and I think he felt the same way. We weren’t getting like marquee attention for this match or anything going into it, so it was like, how can we up this and try and get more attention on this instead? That wasn’t pre-thought, but I’m saying, even with the things of what if I go to his house and we’re gonna get arrested, all that kind of stuff. So yeah, it was just trying to try to ramp that thing up as much as possible, and that was just a happy accident that I think, because then they ended up using it and putting it on TV anyway.”
It must have been so frustrating when people just kept bringing up that number. Your age?
“Yeah, I get it, though, because I think a lot of guys who are my age, and even a lot of guys who are younger than me, they’re in rough, rough shape. I’ve taken care of myself very well. I think I worked in a very safe manner, to where again it hasn’t led me to have [injuries]. I’ve broken my nose once, I’ve had a few concussions and stuff, but I’ve never had anything ever, never ever. I’m super reliable, I’ve never been on the shelf for any kind of real legitimate injury. My hope is to get out at some point, eventually, and not have any of those things on me. I’ve got neck and back pain, everybody has.”
Do you think about how much longer you want to do this?
“All the time. I’m looking at the clock all the time. The funny thing is, physically I could do this for a long time. I’m really good physically. Mentally, I’m just like, I’m gonna snuggle puppies.”
Would you like to wrestle into your fifties?
“No! f*ck no. Would I like to be able to come in and maybe do an occasional appearance? Yeah, sure, maybe. But I don’t think I’ve been built up to the point where I can do like an Undertaker-type thing or an Austin thing or something like that. So I don’t think that’s in my future either. So it’s pretty much gonna be at some point when I decide to call it, I’m gonna disappear in the sunset, and you’ll just never see me again. I’m not even joking, I’m being dead ass serious. If they decide at some point they get crazy enough to go, we’re gonna put him in the Hall of Fame, sure, I’ll come back do that. But I got a feeling that probably ain’t gonna happen either. But maybe that’s my own feeling of just like never being… No matter where I’ve gone, I’ve always felt underappreciated in the wrestling business, but I don’t know.”
You threw Brock Lesnar out of the Royal Rumble.
“I did. I’ll tell that story someday, but it feels too new and fresh to me. But I’ll just say things went differently than they were supposed to.”
PRODUCE Wrestling, the new wrestling and live entertainment company founded by creative director, curator, and independent wrestling entrepreneur Adam Abdalla, today announces a pay-per-view distribution partnership with MyAEW, the global streaming platform powered by Kiswe and All Elite Wrestling.
Beginning with PRODUCE’s debut event, Volume 1 – The Octopus at Pioneer Works on June 29th at 8PM, featuring a live musical performance from New York City grindhouse auteur Abel Ferrara, fans worldwide will be able to purchase and stream all upcoming PRODUCE events live via MyAEW.com and on the MyAEW app.
The partnership marks a significant milestone for independent wrestling, bringing PRODUCE’s talent-first, curator-driven model to a global audience through one of the sport’s most expansive digital platforms.
Each individual supercard will be available for $14.95 or fans can purchase all six for a $50 season pass.
“We’re honored to bring PRODUCE PPVs to MyAEW. Like Tony Khan, we believe in the artistic spirit of professional wrestlers. I couldn’t think of a better partner to share our unique vision for the sport with the best fans in the world,” said Adam Abdalla, Founder & Creative Director of PRODUCE.
In a first for professional wrestling, each edition of PRODUCE is co-produced by an active professional wrestler, who co-headlines and helps shape the undercard – integrating original music, art, and film alongside world-class in-ring competition.
The MyAEW platform, launched earlier this year in partnership with Kiswe, delivers live and on-demand access to wrestling events globally, with flexible regional pricing and a growing international subscriber base. Future PRODUCE events — including editions co-produced by Lee Moriarty and Rocky Romero – will continue to be distributed through the platform as part of a broader streaming strategy.
Smackdown will once again be airing live for international fans early today on Netflix, starting at 8PM Central European Time as the show takes place from the Unipol Arena in Bologna, Italy.
In the United States, Smackdown airs in its regular time slot of 8PM ET on USA Network so it will not be live, but rather on tape delay.
Three matches have been announced so far:
Bayley vs Raquel Rodriguez vs Jacy Jayne vs Kiana James in a Queen of the Ring tournament match
Damian Priest vs Trick Williams vs Bron Breakker vs Dominik in a King of the Ring tournament match
Carmelo Hayes vs Ricky Saints
Plus, we find out what’s next for Rhea Ripley after defeating Jade Cargill last week in a WrestleMania rematch and Cody Rhodes will address the fans after his controversial win over Gunther.
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful is reporting through his Select service that The Butcher and The Blade are no longer part of AEW after their contracts were due and were not offered an option to remain with the company.
The duo have been part of AEW since late 2019 but have rarely been used over the last two years, with The Blade out injured and requiring fusion back surgery and The Butcher not really setting the singles division on fire.
The Blade last wrestled in AEW in January 2024 while The Butcher last competed in February 2025. Since then, the tag team returned to action in March of this year for Limitless Wrestling.
Despite spending several years with the promotion, The Butcher and The Blade never won the AEW Tag Team titles.
Juventus and WWE today announced a new strategic partnership designed to develop original experiences, content and activations that bring together football, sport, entertainment and global fan culture.
WWE Clash in Italy, held this past weekend in Turin, marked the first tangible moments of collaboration between the Juventus and WWE worlds. Across the weekend, multiple touchpoints brought the two fan communities together including: co-created content between Juventus mascot Jay and WWE Superstar Jey Uso; social coverage of Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes receiving a custom Juventus jersey; and the availability of the previously revealed WWE x Juventus Championship Title Belts at merchandise stores around the Inalpi Arena.
As part of the ongoing partnership, Juventus and WWE will explore a wide range of opportunities, from co- branded merchandise and cross-promotional activations to crossover content, cross-promotional partner activations, creator-led storytelling and the integration of WWE and Juventus talent into key cultural moments.
The collaboration will also extend to fan experiences, events and international activations, alongside campaigns designed to reach new audiences. At its core, the partnership establishes a long-term vision focused on building recurring cultural moments that connect football, entertainment and the next generation of fans.
The pre-sale for night one of Triplemania 34 in Las Vegas kicked off today on AXS.COM using the code SUPERSTAR.
The show on Friday, September 11 takes place from the LUXOR Theater at the LUXOR Theater at The Luxor Hotel and Casino and not from the HyperX Arena as previously thought. The Theater is where Blue Man Group, Carrot Top and the Fantasy show take place every week and has a seating capacity of 1,200.
Tickets start from just $66.73 plus tax, with VIP seats at $436.02 and tickets with meet and greet experiences starting from $679.23.
Night two of Triplemania 34 is two days later on Sunday, September 13 from Arena CDMX.
AEW World champion MJF hyperextended his knee during last night’s episode of Dynamite in his match against Rush and will no longer be appearing at the Beyond Wrestling indie event tomorrow night.
MJF was scheduled to take on Bobby Orlando at the indie show, a promotion which gave MJF his start.
“Unfortunately @The_MJF hyperextended his knee during his match last night & is not medically cleared to travel or compete,” Beyond wrote in a post on social media. “He will not be in Cranston tomorrow night but assured me he will wrestle for Beyond Wrestling as soon as his schedule allows. We wish him a speedy recovery.”
MJF recently said that this date would be his last indie date for the foreseeable future as he wants to focus on being an AEW World champion for a long time.
Will Ospreay became the first finalist in the 2026 Owen Hart Cup tournament.
The British star, who is also the favorite to win the whole thing, defeated Mark Davis in the main event of Dynamite last night to advance to the final match. Ospreay defeated Samoa Joe in the quarter final last week.
He will now face the winner of the Swerve Strickland vs Brody King semi final match, with the final taking place at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view on June 28.
The winner receives an AEW title shot at All In at London’s Wembley Stadium.
Goalkeepers do not often get the headlines, but they are the players who can often make the difference in the outcome of games. When it comes to FIFA World Cup betting, odds for clean sheets, saves, and penalty heroics are beaten by moneyline or spread wagers. But these defensive bets can have great value. For wise bettors, looking at odds FIFA World Cup markets away from the obvious favorites can lead to profitable opportunities.
The Unsung Role of Goalkeepers
Bookmakers and fans tend to focus on attacking prowess. Beneficial odds are heavily centered on goals and star forwards. However, experienced bettors already know that goalkeeper markets are less influenced by public bias and more dependent on statistical numbers. This makes them more worthwhile for those bettors who rely on analysis and reason when they wager.
Moreover, a keeper’s performance can swing a match. So, odds for their performance often reveal inefficiencies. It means that attentive gamblers who make accurate predictions can receive beneficial payouts.
Clean Sheets — Predicting Defensive Dominance
Bookmakers set odds based on team strength, but compact formations and disciplined back lines can surprise. Morocco’s performance in 2022 is one of the brightest examples. Clean sheet odds often misprice underdogs. So, they are perfect for bettors seeking unexpected opportunities for big wins.
Saves — Measuring Shot Volume
Save count markets are especially useful when weaker teams face opponents with strong attacks. In these matches, goalkeepers from smaller nations often make a high number of saves, even if their team loses. Keylor Navas and Costa Rica exemplify this. His shot‑stopping ability created noticeable opportunities for gamblers. Bettors who anticipate heavy shot volume can profit by backing keepers expected to be under pressure.
Penalties and Pressure Bets
Penalty save odds and disciplinary bets add another layer of intrigue and create beneficial winning opportunities. Some keepers, like Emiliano Martínez, are renowned for penalty heroics, so the odds are certainly adjusted based on these statistics. However, backing a goalkeeper with big save potential, even without epic stories about match-changing saves, can be highly beneficial.
Odds for time‑wasting cards or disciplinary actions also exist. They often reflect the psychological pressure keepers face in the knockout stages. These niche markets can be very lucrative for bettors who follow individual tendencies and referee styles.
Practical Takeaways for Bettors
Savvy bettors know that defensive markets can be just as profitable as moneyline or spread bets. If you want to give them a shot, be sure to:
watch defensive stats, such as tackles, possession, and shot suppression;
balance risk by combining traditional bets with goalkeeper markets;
place wagers during the live betting option after early saves or penalties.
Combine these actions with the right choice of a bookmaker to ensure your forecasting efforts are not wasted. MyBookie ensures fair play with big rewards. It offers a rewarding loyalty program and gives players access to multiple standard bonuses.
Summing up, goalkeepers rarely dominate headlines, but they often offer quite beneficial odds for those gamblers who prefer analytics and statistics-backed wagering. Make sure to try them alongside winner bets, totals, or spread bets.
Paramount, a Skydance Corporation, and UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, today announced an expansion of their media rights partnership that makes Paramount+ the exclusive home of UFC Numbered Event main cards in Canada for the next six years beginning in 2027.
UFC Numbered Events (traditionally known as Pay-Per-Views) typically feature championship bouts on the main cards and showcase UFC’s biggest stars. This new partnership with Paramount will provide UFC fans across Canada with exclusive access to all 13 marquee UFC Numbered Event main cards live, at no additional cost to Paramount+ subscribers. This announcement expands on Paramount’s landmark seven-year, multi-territory UFC media rights partnership announced in 2025, and reaffirms Paramount+ as the premier destination for UFC fans in North America, Latin America and Australia*.
“Beginning in 2027, Paramount+ subscribers in Canada will get every UFC Numbered Event main card live, at no additional cost,” said UFC President and CEO Dana White. “Paramount has been an incredible partner that understands the power of UFC, and together we’re going to make it easier than ever for fans in Canada to watch the biggest fights in the sport. I love Canada and I’m very excited for the fans to be able to enjoy the Paramount experience.”
“UFC is one of the most dynamic live sports properties in the world and we are thrilled to bring Paramount+ subscribers in Canada into the Octagon in 2027 for no additional cost,” said Rodrigo Mazón, Paramount+’s Head of Direct-To-Consumer in Latin America and Canada. “Expanding our partnership into Canada lets us serve a deeply engaged MMA audience, while reinforcing what Paramount+ is built for: premium live sports and globally relevant entertainment.”
Details on the first UFC events to stream live on Paramount+ in Canada will be announced later this year.
The debut of UFC on Paramount+ in the U.S. and Latin America earlier this year was the service’s biggest exclusive live event in history. To date, over 10 million households have watched more than 100 million hours of UFC programming on Paramount+—delivering viewership more than 15x the average pay-per-view event over the past two years.
Since debuting in Canada with UFC 83 in 2008, UFC has held 37 premier sporting events across 11 cities in the Great White North. Canadian cards have featured legendary athletes like Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, Jose Aldo, Valentina Shevchenko and Max Holloway.
Don Callis suffered a “malfunction” yesterday on Dynamite, losing his teeth during a promo introducing Kevin Knight as the newest member of The Don Callis Family.
Speaking in the middle of the ring flanked by Jake Doyle and Andrade El Idolo, Callis was in the midst of bringing out Knight when the teeth fell off.
“The newest member of The Don Callis Family, The Jet…” Callis said as his teeth just exited his mouth.
But not letting his teeth marching out faze him, Callis continued with announcing Knight’s name, no selling what happened. Callis actually tried to catch the flying teeth in mid air, unsuccessfully.
The commentary team took digs at Callis during the commercial break feed for losing his teeth, with Schiavone mentioning that it is a common thing in Virginia where they were! Ouch!
After an absence of five full months, Mercedes Mone made a surprise return on last night’s episode of Dynamite as the wildcard in the Owen Hart Cup tournament, replacing the injured Willow Nightingale.
Mone successfully defeated Alex Windsor in the tournament match and advances to the next round and will face the winner of the match between Persephone and Hazuki.
A fireworks display preceded her entrance and as soon as her name popped up on the video, the crowd gave her a big pop.
Mone wrestled Windsor in December of last year where Windsor defeated her for the RevPro Undisputed British Women’s title, but last night’s match had a different ending, and the reigning Owen Hart Cup tournament champion must surely be the favorite for this year’s event as well.
The former champ last wrestled on AEW television on the December 31 episode of Dynamite, losing the TBS title to Willow Nightingale. Her last overall match was on March 31, losing the WPW Women’s title to Jody Threat.
AEW will be hoping to continue with their momentum from last week’s show as they head into another episode of Dynamite live from the Siegel Center in Richmond, Virginia. This is the company’s first event in the area.
Scheduled for tonight so far are:
MJF vs Rush for the AEW title
Kevin Knight vs “Speedball” Mike Bailey for the TNT title
Alex Windsor vs Wild card opponent in the women’s Owen Hart Cup tournament
Will Ospreay vs Mark Davis in the men’s Owen Hart Cup tournament
Dynamite airs at 8PM ET on TBS and also on HBO Max.
