BNT MISC

Vanessa Posso, the mother of boxer Gervonta Davis' daughter, wrote Friday on her Instagram story that Davis did not harm her or their daughter prior to his arrest Tuesday.

According to TMZ Sports, Posso wrote:

"The state of our relationship has been in a fragile space, and Gervonta and I were both at fault for the argument. While the emotions were running high, I made an unnecessary call to law enforcement in an intense moment while I was frantic. Gervonta did not harm me or our daughter."

ESPN's Mike Coppinger reported that Davis was arrested and jailed in Parkland, Florida, on Tuesday on a domestic violence charge of battery causing bodily harm.

Davis had his bond set at $1,000 during a court hearing Wednesday, and he was subsequently released on bond.

The 28-year-old boxer denied the allegations in a since-deleted Instagram post, insisting that he did not physically assault Posso or their daughter:

pic.twitter.com/XcVkIVjjJB

— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) December 28, 2022

As part of her statement Friday, Posso also wrote: "Today, we have sought the help necessary to move forward with our lives. I am confident that we will succeed within our co-parenting dynamic with the counseling provided to us."

Before the release of Posso's statement, court documents showed that police said Davis "did actually and intentionally touch and strike" her "against her will" and "did intentionally cause bodily harm to her."

Police also said Davis caused Posso to suffer a facial injury and abrasion to her lip after hitting her in the head with a "closed-hand type of slap."

The boxer is slated to put his WBA (regular) lightweight belt on the line against Hector Luis Garcia, who is 16-0 with three no-contests, on Jan. 7 in Washington, D.C.

Jalen Hurts and Deebo Samuel appeared at their respective team practices this week, but that does not mean they will play in Week 17.

Hurts is officially listed as doubtful with the shoulder injury that forced him to sit out the Philadelphia Eagles' Week 16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

Samuel has been out with knee and ankle injuries since Week 14. His status is still uncertain for Sunday.

Fantasy football players may have gotten excited when they saw the news of Hurts and Samuel at practice, but they will likely have a minimal impact on fantasy matchups in Week 17.

Below is a look at the other injuries affecting the fantasy landscape in Week 17.

• Jalen Hurts, QB, PHI: doubtful (shoulder), per NFL.com
• Deebo Samuel, WR, SF: out (knee, ankle)
• Alvin Kamara, RB, NO: full participant in practice (quad)
  
• Lamar Jackson, QB, BAL: out (leg)
  
• Colt McCoy, QB, ARI: out (concussion)
  
• Antonio Gibson, RB, WSH: out (knee/foot)
  
• Tua Tagovailoa, QB, MIA: out (concussion)
  
• DeAndre Hopkins, WR, ARI: questionable (knee)
  
• Christian Watson, WR, GB: questionable (hip)
  
• Chris Olave, WR, NO: questionable (hamstring)
  
• Tyler Lockett, WR, SEA: limited participant in practice (hand)
  
• Austin Ekeler, RB, LAC: limited participant in practice (knee)
  
• Jerry Jeudy, WR, DEN: limited participant in practice (ankle)
  

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Hurts Officially Listed as Doubtful

Hurts made an appearance at Eagles practice in each of the last two days. Despite that, the QB is officially listed as doubtful with the shoulder injury he suffered in Week 15 against the Chicago Bears.

Philadelphia will host the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, and Gardner Minshew will likely make his second straight start.

Nick Sirianni and the Eagles coaching staff should have trust in Minshew's ability to earn the win after he came close to beating the Dallas Cowboys on the road on Christmas Eve.

The 26-year-old came through for fantasy football players last week, as he threw for 355 yards and a pair of touchdowns, though he tossed two interceptions.

Still, Minshew's comfort level in the Eagles offense makes him the ideal replacement for Hurts.

The fantasy status of running back Miles Sanders, receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert should not be affected by Minshew's presence in the pocket.

If Minshew is unavailable in your league, Mike White, Brock Purdy and Teddy Bridgewater are among the possible Hurts replacements.

Those aren't ideal options, but they're likely the best you can get with the current status of quarterbacks across the NFL.

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Samuel Back at Practice

Samuel made an appearance at 49ers practice Thursday, but he was doing individual work instead of participating in team drills. He has been dealing with knee and ankle injuries, and Week 17 may be too soon for the 49ers to bring him back.

Fantasy football players would love to see Samuel on the field, but the team should be able to handle the Las Vegas Raiders without him. The last thing the 49ers want is to rush him back and for him to get hurt before the postseason starts.

San Francisco scored 37 points in Week 16 as George Kittle had a pair of touchdown catches, Brandon Aiyuk had 81 receiving yards and Jauan Jennings had a pair of catches.

If Samuel is active, he would likely be on a snap count as the 49ers work him back into the offense after two weeks off.

Washington's Jahan Dotson, Arizona's Marquise Brown and Isaiah Hodgins of the New York Giants are among the waiver-wire pickups you can make if you still need wide receiver help.

Sasha Banks is reportedly expected to appear at a major event held by Japanese women's wrestling promotion Stardom on April 23, just three weeks after WWE's WrestleMania 39.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc's Ella Jay), All-Star Grand Queendom was announced for April 23 at the Yokohama Arena on Thursday, and Banks looked "locked in" for the show, although it isn't yet clear what her exact role will be.

Meltzer (h/t WrestlingInc's Sean Neumann) previously confirmed a report that Banks will appear at New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom 17 on Jan. 4 after reaching a high-dollar agreement with New Japan in November.

Since both NJPW and Stardom are owned by Bushiroad, it would make sense for Banks to appear for both companies.

Banks has not been seen in the world of pro wrestling since she and Naomi walked out prior to an episode of WWE Raw in May because of apparent creative differences.

WWE suspended Banks and Naomi and stripped them of the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship, leaving their future with the promotion in flux. It seemed more likely that they would return after Vince McMahon retired and Triple H replaced him as head of creative in July, but the two reportedly never reached an agreement.

Instead, Meltzer noted that Banks is likely to have some level of involvement with the NJPW Women's Championship match between former WWE star Kairi and Tam Nakano at Wrestle Kingdom.

Meltzer added that "many believe" Banks' in-ring return will occur at a Feb. 18 event in San Jose, California, potentially in the form of Banks challenging Kairi.

The events of that show could potentially set the stage for another Banks match at All-Star Grand Queendom.

Fans have also speculated on Banks being the mystery tag team partner for Saraya against Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter on the Jan. 11 episode of AEW Dynamite, but Meltzer reporting that Banks' first match back may not be until February suggests All Elite Wrestling might not be in the cards for Banks.

One can assume that returning to WWE will always be an option for the five-time Raw women's champion, three-time WWE women's tag team champion, one-time SmackDown women's champion and one-time NXT women's champion, but all signs are pointing toward NJPW and Stardom being Banks' focus for the foreseeable future.

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Former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a contract with Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr, the club confirmed Friday.

The agreement is worth $75 million annually over two-and-a-half years, according to Ben Jacobs and James Benge of CBS Sports. Fabrizio Romano added Ronaldo can earn at least $200 million per season through commercial deals with the club.

Here’s Cristiano Ronaldo with Al Nassr shirt after contract signed until June 2025 🚨🇵🇹🇸🇦 #Ronaldo

▫️ Agreement valid for two years and half;

▫️ Total salary will be close to €200m per year, but this includes commercial deal.

It’s the biggest salary ever in football. pic.twitter.com/ZnOg8lY6Wb

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 30, 2022

Ronaldo's contract with the Riyadh club effectively ends his career at the top level. The Portuguese superstar had reportedly been eyeing a move to a club that plays in the UEFA Champions League, but a deal never materialized.

Ronaldo and Manchester United mutually agreed to part ways in November just before the beginning of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, making him a free agent.

The move came after he heavily criticized the club in a candid interview with Piers Morgan, saying he felt "betrayed" by the way the Red Devils had treated him in his return to Old Trafford. He added that he felt United was trying to force him out.

"I feel betrayed."

EXCLUSIVE: Cristiano Ronaldo tells Piers Morgan he feels like he's being forced out of Manchester United in an explosive interview.

90 Minutes with Ronaldo. Wednesday and Thursday at 8pm on TalkTV.@cristiano | @piersmorgan | @TalkTV | #PMU pic.twitter.com/nqp4mcXHB0

— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) November 13, 2022

Ronaldo returned to Manchester United during the 2021-22 campaign after spending 2018 through 2021 with Serie A side Juventus. He left United in 2009 in a move to La Liga's Real Madrid.

The 37-year-old's return to the Premier League was tumultuous, to say the least. While he scored 24 goals across all competitions during the 2021-22 season, the Red Devils finished sixth in the Premier League and were eliminated from the Champions League in the round of 16.

Manchester United failed to qualify for this season's Champions League, and it's fifth in the Premier League table with a 9-2-4 record.

Ronaldo appeared in 10 Premier League games for the Red Devils this season, making four starts, and had been playing off the bench for Erik ten Hag. With little sign of progress, it became clear Ronaldo wanted out.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner confirmed he was unhappy with the lack of progress at the English side during his interview with Morgan.

"The progress was zero," Ronaldo said. "Since Sir Alex left, I saw no evolution in the club. Nothing had changed."

Ronaldo's downfall continued at the World Cup, where he scored just one goal in five matches (three starts) for a Portuguese team that was upset by Morocco in the quarterfinals.

Now at Al Nassr, Ronaldo will look to rejuvenate his career, possibly in hopes of returning to the top level.

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

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WWE's Reported WrestleMania Backup Plan for Reigns

If WWE is unable to secure Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to face WWE universal champion Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 in April, there is reportedly already a backup plan in place.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), WWE head of creative Triple H knows what direction he wants to go in if the "very real possibility" of The Rock not being available for WrestleMania comes to pass.

Meltzer noted that while the backup plan isn't publicly known, Cody Rhodes is likely the "betting line favorite" to be Reigns' opponent outside of The Rock.

Rumors and speculation have persisted for months regarding Reigns vs. The Rock at WrestleMania, but WWE has never truly teased the match, which would make it easy for the company to pivot if it can't be made possible.

The Rock is as busy as anyone in show business because of his acting schedule, plus he is the owner of the XFL, which is set to relaunch in spring 2023 and could conflict with WrestleMania season.

Reigns vs. The Rock is the biggest possible match WWE could put on, and it would increase interest in WrestleMania 39 significantly, but it isn't necessarily needed for WWE to put on a great show.

WWE could always try for Reigns vs. The Rock at a later date, especially since the fanbase would likely react positively to Reigns vs. Rhodes as well.

Rhodes is seemingly getting closer to a return after missing several months with a torn pectoral muscle, and if he were to win the Royal Rumble and challenge Reigns, it would still be one of WWE's best stories in quite some time.

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WWE Reportedly Considering Adding Another Title

With Reigns in possession of both world titles, WWE is reportedly considering the addition of another major championship.

According to Meltzer (h/t Smita Singha Roy of Ringside News), there "remains a lot of talk" within WWE about creating a new title for Raw if Reigns remains on SmackDown or for SmackDown if Reigns gets moved to Raw the next time a draft is held.

Reigns has held the Universal Championship for over 850 days, and he added the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 38 in April 2022, meaning WWE is closing in on a full year of only having one world champion.

While that makes being world champion an even bigger deal than if there were two world titles, it has also left Raw without a major men's championship to vie for.

Many fans have clamored for the titles to be broken up again and Reigns to perhaps lose one of them, but WWE has stayed away from The Tribal Chief losing big matches.

If WWE has a desire for there to be two world titles but no desire for Reigns to lose, simply merging the WWE and Universal Championships into one and then creating a new world title could be a viable option.

Adding another world title would give WWE ammunition for some compelling television over the course of several weeks, as the winner could be determined by a tournament involving some of the top stars the company has to offer.

Reigns has been excellent in his role, and it is understandable why WWE has protected him, but if it wants Raw to be as interesting and important as SmackDown, a second world champion may be needed in the near future.

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WWE's Reported Feelings on Utilizing Tyson Fury

A source within WWE reportedly told Meltzer (h/t Gunjan Nath of Ringside News) that there are reservations about using heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury in an in-ring capacity.

The source told Meltzer that Fury is "not willing to put people over or even look vulnerable," thus making it difficult to do something like a cameo in the men's Royal Rumble match, since he may not be willing to get eliminated.

The revelation came on the heels of a report by Sunni Upal of The Sun U.S. this week. In the report, Upal noted that WWE had plans to use Fury at the 2023 Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 39, but visa issues are preventing it from happening.

Fury is reportedly banned from entering the United States because of his ties to alleged Irish mob boss Daniel Kinahan.

As a result, Fury is reportedly missing out on millions of dollars that he could have earned by working Royal Rumble and WrestleMania.

Fury has made multiple appearances for WWE, including a Crown Jewel match against Braun Strowman in Saudi Arabia. He also had a presence at Clash at the Castle in Wales in September when he punched out Austin Theory during a Money in the Bank cash-in attempt and consoled Drew McIntyre after his loss to Reigns in the main event.

There is no question that Fury is a huge star in the world of combat sports thanks to his success and charisma, but integrating athletes into the world of WWE can be tricky at times, especially when it comes to an undefeated fighter whose career is built on legitimacy.

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Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner is looking to make it back to the Summer Games at age 51.

Speaking to TMZ Sports, Gardner said he's been training with the goal of competing at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

"I still wanna give more back to the sport, the sport that I love and that's wrestling. When you have a goal like wrestling it makes you get into shape so I've lost a substantial amount of weight, getting healthy again, getting back after it, and now it's getting on the mat. Every day it hurts like heck but it's so fun to be able to get out there and throw with these young kids. It's crazy 'cause I'm wrestling kids half my age."

Gardner said he's lost about 150 pounds in training, with the goal of being able to show he "can still compete with the top-level wrestlers of the world."

This isn't the first time Gardner has attempted to make an Olympic comeback. He was training for the 2012 Games, but he missed the maximum weight limit allowed before the U.S. Olympic Trials.

It's not unheard of for an athlete over age 50 to compete at the Olympics, though it's often in sports that don't require the same type of physical ability as wrestling.

Laura Kraut, 55, became the oldest U.S. woman to medal since 1904 when she won a silver as part of the equestrian jumping team with Jessica Springsteen and McLain Ward at the Tokyo Games.

Sweden's Oscar Swahn is the oldest athlete to compete and medal at the Olympics. He won silver at age 72 as part of the 100-meter running deer shooting team double shots at the 1920 Games in Stockholm, Sweden.

More recently, Dara Torres was 41 years old when she won three silver medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Chris Campbell is the oldest American wrestler to medal at the Olympics. He won bronze in the freestyle 90-kilogram weight class as a 37-year-old in 1992.

Gardner became an Olympic legend for his performance during the 2000 Games in Sydney. The Wyoming native upset Russia's Aleksandr Karelin, who was the reigning three-time Olympic champion and had a 13-year unbeaten streak, in the finals of the 130-kilogram Greco-Roman event.

Four years later, Gardner won bronze in the 120-kilogram weight class. He will be 53 years old when the Paris Games begin.

The qualification period for wrestling at the 2024 Olympics runs from September 2023 through May 2024.

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Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: profanity).