Paul Wight is still very much a part of AEW despite his absence. At the same time, he is taking care of his health and provided an update on the same.
The World’s Largest Athlete gained prominence as ‘The Giant’ in WCW and ‘The Big Show’ for his lengthy tenure in WWE. However, Wight jumped ship to All Elite Wrestling in 2021, primarily serving as a commentator, and has wrestled on a few occasions. His last match in AEW was in November 2023, and Wight made his appearance on Collision in January 2026.
On the other hand, Paul Wight took to Instagram to share a video of himself doing a leg workout. The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion revealed that he underwent knee and hip replacement surgery and was making great progress in his recovery.
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“Making great progress! Two knees two hips replaced better than yesterday. #fitnessjourney #suckitupbuttercup😎💪❤️ #legday.”
Paul Wight on if he has retired from in-ring competition
AEW legend Paul Wight has been an icon in professional wrestling, having competed in the ring for almost two decades. Fans had questioned whether he would retire from in-ring action after not having a match for more than two years.
This led the former Intercontinental Champion to say he wanted to retire on his own terms and looked forward to returning to the ring once after making some recovery.
“The last thing I’m gonna do is go out in that ring and have people go, ‘aww, poor Paul. They should just kill him, like Old Yeller or something.’ We’re not gonna have that. If I’m not out there humping and bumping and getting after everything and slapping people’s souls out of their chest… then it’s time to hang up the boots. We’re still moving forward, there’s progress being made. Everything I’m dealing with now is mostly soft tissue, getting that stuff to work… we’ll get that back and we’ll be in the ring,” he said.
With the WWE legend not being done as an in-ring competitor, it remains to be seen what he would actually wrestle in AEW.
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Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58) celebrates a defensive stop during the second quarter of a home matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, Dec. 1, 2024, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The veteran edge rusher sparked energy on defense as Brian Flores’ unit controlled momentum late in the season. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
The 2026 NFL Draft is now less than five weeks away, and the Minnesota Vikings are transitioning the remnants of free agency. The club has added a few new players and will onboard about 30 rookies via the draft and undrafted free agency next month. In the meantime, here’s a look at the rumor mill.
Minnesota has three talking points worth sorting before draft season fully takes over.
Minnesota has a momentous year afoot, probably needing to win a playoff game to secure the head coach’s long-term job security.
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Inside the Latest Purple Rumor Mill for Minnesota
It’s the Purple Rumor Mill for March 21st, 2026.
Jonathan Greenard and Harrison Phillips celebrate a sack of Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud during a fourth-quarter defensive stand, Sep. 22, 2024, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The play highlighted Minnesota’s coordinated pass rush, with Harrison Smith and Kenyon Green nearby as the defense reset after a momentum-shifting stop. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
Rumor: The Jonathan Greenard trade sweepstakes may be down to the Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts.
The Greenard trade fodder has circulated for a few weeks now. The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis opined on the rumors this week, claiming on his podcast, “I think over the course of the last week or last two weeks, it probably seemed more imminent than it was. I would say that the Minnesota Vikings have been very clear from the outset that they are doing this on their terms. So they are not going to trade a talented player that they’ve really liked having, Jonathan Greenard, unless it makes a lot of sense for them to do that.”
“I would say the Philadelphia Eagles definitely still need edge rusher talent. I mean, they have Jalyx Hunt, they signed Arnold Ebiketie, they have Nolan Smith Jr., but to have another elite edge rusher, it’s part of the reason they were in on Jaelan Phillips. And then I think the Indianapolis Colts are kind of in a similar vein.”
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The Eagles need EDGE help more than the Colts, so Philadelphia may be the frontrunner if a Greenard trade happens at all.
With the draft only five weeks away, what to do with Greenard is still a big question for Minnesota. It would make sense to trade him during the draft weekend. That way, general managers could quickly weigh their draft picks against the chance to snag Greenard, who’s already proven he can rush the passer and has six years in the NFL under his belt.
Money-wise, waiting until after June 1 to trade him would give Minnesota an extra $6 million in cap space, which would be helpful going into the summer. Even though many teams will probably have found their EDGE rushers by then, the extra cap room still makes a trade look enticing for Minnesota.
There’s also always the easy choice: just keep Greenard. Teams don’t find productive defenders every day, and Minnesota’s already got one locked down.
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The sticking point is evidently Greenard’s contract. He’s due for a raise at $19 million per year, and his counterpart, Micah Parsons, earns $47 million out in Green Bay.
Rumor: L’Jarius Sneed is a free agent, and Minnesota should sign him to a prove-it contract.
Sneed is done in Tennessee.
ESPN’s Turron Davenport wrote Friday, “The Tennessee Titans released cornerback L’Jarius Sneed on Friday, a move that saves $11.4 million in cap space. Sneed struggled to stay on the field for Tennessee, appearing in 12 games over two seasons.”
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“He had signed a four-year, $76 million contract after the Titans acquired him in a 2024 trade with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Titans signed defensive backs Alontae Taylor, Cor’Dale Flott and Josh Williams earlier this week to restock their cornerbacks room.”
Tennessee Titans cornerback L’Jarius Sneed (38) runs onto the field during pregame introductions ahead of a matchup with the Indianapolis Colts, Oct. 13, 2024, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. The veteran defensive back energized the crowd as the Titans prepared for a divisional contest at home. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images.
In 2025, the Vikings went into the season thin at cornerback, counting on Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, and Jeff Okudah as their main assets. Murphy Jr. and Rodgers held up, playing in 34 games combined, but Okudah had a rough go of it with two concussions, and his performance waned overall.
To make up for it, Minnesota brought up Fabian Moreau from the practice squad, and he cooked compared to Okudah.
Projecting 2026, it’s probably too optimistic to expect the same kind of health at the cornerback position. The spot usually needs more depth, so adding a veteran like Sneed or using a draft pick in April would make a lot of sense.
Sneed is affordable and looking to re-prove that he belongs in the NFL as a starter.
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Rumor: Despite theories suggesting otherwise, the Vikings won’t give up on J.J. McCarthy.
Every so often, ESPN authors an article about “overreactions” around the NFL, and recently, ESPN’s Dan Graziano examined the topic from a post-free-agency angle.
On McCarthy, Graziano wrote, “J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix Jr. are both done as starting QBs. Verdict: OVERREACTION. The Vikings signed Kyler Murray, and the Falcons signed Tua Tagovailoa, thrusting those veterans into ostensible competitions with the 10th and eighth overall picks from the 2024 draft, respectively.”
“McCarthy is coming off a terrible and injury-plagued first NFL season after missing his entire rookie season due to a knee injury. He entered the offseason healthy, but after throwing 12 interceptions and taking 27 sacks in his 10 starts last season, he has given the Vikings reason to doubt whether he’ll turn out to be the quarterback they thought he was when they moved up a spot to draft him.”
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy flips through the air after a tackle by Detroit linebacker Jack Campbell during first-half action, Nov. 2, 2025, at Ford Field in Detroit. The play captured a violent collision as defenders converged, freezing a chaotic moment before both teams reset in a tightly contested divisional matchup. Mandatory Credit: Junfu Han-Imagn Images.
McCarthy has missed 70% of all football games since the Vikings drafted him in 2024.
Graziano continued, “Murray is very likely to end up starting ahead of McCarthy, unless a light comes on this offseason and McCarthy performs well enough in the summer to beat him out. But the Vikings aren’t ready to give up on McCarthy just yet, and they’re hoping Murray’s arrival has a positive impact on him.”
“The Atlanta story is different; my sense is the Falcons view Penix as the starter once he’s healthy and Tagovailoa is just there for coverage in case he isn’t ready.”
While McCarthy probably won’t start in September, the Vikings are in no rush to get rid of him, says Graziano.
Apr 16, 2024; Pueblo, Colorado, USA; Jucielen Romeu (BRA) in red and Yu-Ting Lin (TPE) in blue compete in the elite female 57kg category at Pueblo Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Olympic champion Lin Yu-ting has been cleared to return to international competition after World Boxing completed a review of her sex-eligibility status, opening the door for her to fight at the Asian Boxing Championships later this month in Mongolia.
World Boxing confirmed the decision Friday after an appeal process initiated by the Chinese Taipei Boxing Association (CTBA), ending months of uncertainty that kept Lin out of several top-level events since the governing body introduced a new eligibility policy last summer.
The organization did not disclose any test results, but said the appeal was handled through its established procedures and that Lin is eligible to compete in the women’s category at World Boxing events.
“We recognize that this has been a difficult period for the boxer and the CTBA and appreciate the way they have approached the appeal process and their acknowledgement of World Boxing’s requirement to ensure that its eligibility policy, which is designed to deliver safety and sporting integrity, has been correctly implemented and followed,” World Boxing secretary general Tom Dielen said.
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Lin’s eligibility became a flashpoint during the 2024 Paris Games, when she and Algeria’s Imane Khelif won gold amid widespread misinformation and political noise about sex standards, even though the IOC’s rules at the time allowed both to compete.
Since taking over as the sport’s Olympic-level governing body, World Boxing has implemented a one-time genetic test requirement for athletes competing in women’s categories. It’s designed to identify the presence of Y chromosome genetic material, while also outlining additional evaluation pathways in complex cases.
The Asian Championships run March 29 to April 10, and Lin’s return adds another high-profile layer to a tournament that now sits at the center of boxing’s evolving eligibility debate.
Edwards earned the title opportunity after winning the PFL’s 2025 middleweight tournament, and was looking to become champion after two defeats by Johnny Eblen for the Bellator middleweight title.
Edwards was also looking to join brother Leon, a former UFC welterweight champion, as a title holder, but was made to pay for a number of errors.
The event was watched by a number of sports stars at cageside, including Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, Thibaut Courtois and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad earlier on Friday.
After walkouts in which a confident Edwards was jeered by the Spanish fans and a determined-looking Van Steenis was roared to the cage, the contest started with the pair trading leg kicks.
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In a close first round, Edwards made his first mistake as Van Steenis reversed the action on the ground to end in top position, despite blood pouring from his left eye.
In tactics rarely used by Edwards, the Briton looked to attack with takedowns but Van Steenis got the better of the early exchanges by flipping the momentum to control where the fight went.
When Edwards opted to strike, he looked faster and more dangerous than Van Steenis, but another mistake in the third round would prove to be his downfall.
Edwards again continued to wrestle and, while trying to take Van Steenis down against the cage, the champion delivered a flurry of elbows which forced the Briton to collapse on his knees.
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Seeing Edwards was in trouble, the referee stepped in to end the contest, before Van Steenis put both arms out in celebration and closed his eyes as he soaked in applause from the home fans.
It was made sweeter for the Dutch-Spaniard by winning in front of his home fans in the largest MMA event to take place in Spain.
With the UFC yet to host an event in the Spain, the PFL took advantage when Van Steenis became champion in July by building a card around him.
Van Steenis, who grew up around Benidorm before moving back to the Netherlands, said pre-fight it was a “dream come true” to compete in front of his own fans.
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While it was heartbreak for the Edwards brothers, the Van Steenis siblings – which included Costello’s younger brother Gino securing his own knockout on the undercard – celebrated a fairytale night.
“It went exactly as I wanted it to,” said Van Steenis.
“I didn’t do that alone; thank you to the crowd. This is the best country in the world. We are the best country in the world.”
Edwards now faces a rebuilding job but has shown his powers of recovery previously in his career.
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The PFL does not boast a particularly deep list of contenders in the middleweight division and a few wins would likely put Edwards back in title contention.
The 2026 Valspar Championship continues on Saturday, March 21, with the third round at Innisbrook’s Copperhead Course in Palm Harbor, Fla. You can find full Valspar Championship tee times for Saturday’s third round at the bottom of this post.
Featured tee time for Round 3
Featured tee time? There are a few contenders for the honor.
There’s your last group, of course. At 1:55 p.m. ET leader Sungjae Im and David Lipsky go off. And they follow Doug Ghim and Chandler Blanchet, who start at 1:45.
But the nod here might have to go to the 1:15 grouping. There’ll you find Brandt Snedeker, who’s five back of the lead, and Gary Woodland, who’s four off the pace. They’re a couple of vets. They’re a couple of good stories.
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We’ll start with Sneds. He’s this year’s U.S. Presidents Cup team captain and a nine-time PGA Tour winner — but is titleless since 2018. Injuries have slowed him. But he’s back. A strong showing this week would be encouraging.
“It’s nice to show my son and kids I can still do this every once in a while,” the 45-year-old said. “But that being said, good golf after two rounds is a whole different thing than good golf after four. So we got two more rounds to go prove it, so I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Then there’s Woodland. He’s another one of pro golf’s good guys, and he’s the 2019 U.S. Open winner. But a lesion on his brain required surgery, and last week, he revealed he was battling PTSD because of what he’s endured.
His golf form this week, though, has him thrilled.
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“It’s been coming,” Woodland said. “I’ve been hitting it nice on the range, our practice sessions have been really good. I just haven’t translated it to the golf course.”
You can watch Saturday’s third round of the 2026 Valspar Championship from 1-3 p.m. ET on Golf Channel, then from 3-6 p.m. ET on NBC. PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will provide exclusive early streaming coverage starting at 7:30 a.m. ET Saturday, in addition to featured group and featured hole coverage.
Check out the complete Round 3 tee times and groupings for the Valspar Championship.
Kalle Sauerland was far from impressed with what he saw following Michael Conlan‘s defeat to Kevin Walsh.
Conlan suffered a split decision loss to Walsh at the SSE Arena in Belfast, despite many onlookers – notably the broadcast team of Tony Bellew, Carl Frampton and Barry Jones – believing that the Irishman had done enough to win the bout.
It was an uneventful contest which saw neither boxer get into a rhythm, but despite one judge scoring it 97-93 in Conlan’s favour, the other two judges scored it 96-94 to Walsh to hand the American a controversial upset win.
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The fight headlined the first MFPro event, and promoter Sauerland spoke on the DAZN broadcast following the verdict, saying that he was ’embarrassed’ for the sport after Conlan didn’t get his hand raised.
“It’s times like this when you promote an event and you don’t know what to say. I’m embarrassed for the sport of boxing. I got in the ring and Mick said ‘how many rounds you reckon?’ I didn’t even count after round six, seven.
“Mick maybe gave up the first two, you could maybe give Walsh two more rounds in the entire fight, that’s me being kind. What on earth. It was a cagey fight yes, but it’s just incredible.
“It baffles me what on earth they’re watching. The swing of it between the one judge and the others. I’m lost for words. It’s embarrassing.”
Sauerland also confirmed that there is a rematch clause, but he sees no reason to activate it.
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“You look at Conlan – he’s gone through a camp, he’s preparing for a world title shot, and you get two blind people scoring the fight. That’s all you can say. You cannot make it up.
“I don’t blame him for being [upset]. We’ve got a rematch option but quite [frankly] I don’t want to see the fight again. It was a very clear decision – what’s the rematch for?”
The Guinea Football Federation has called on the Confederation of African Football to reopen the final outcome of the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations, pointing to Morocco’s brief walkout during their decisive clash and a recent ruling involving Senegal.
Guinea’s demand comes after CAF controversially reversed the result of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, stripping Senegal national football team of the title despite their victory on the pitch. In that decision, CAF sanctioned Senegal for a walkout and awarded the trophy to hosts Morocco national football team 58 days after the tournament.
Reacting to the development, Guinea argued that the same disciplinary standards should be applied to past competitions. The federation specifically cited the decisive 1976 encounter between Guinea national football team and Morocco, played under a four-team round-robin format.
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In that match, Guinea took the lead in the 33rd minute through Chérif Souleymane, putting them on course for the title, as Morocco only needed a draw. However, Moroccan players briefly left the pitch in protest over a refereeing decision before returning to continue the game.
Late in the match, Ahmed Makrouh scored an equaliser in the 86th minute to secure a 1-1 draw, a result that handed Morocco the title with five points, while Guinea finished second.
Guinea now insists that the incident should be reassessed using the same principles applied in the 2025 ruling. In a strong statement, the federation declared: “Give us back our 1976 AFCON trophy,” adding that sanctions should apply in any case where a team leaves the pitch during play, regardless of when it occurred.
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The recent CAF decision to award Morocco a 3-0 win following Senegal’s walkout has reignited debate around historical fairness in African football. However, sports legal experts have pointed out that key regulations, including Article 84, were not in place in 1976 and are rarely enforced retrospectively.
CAF is yet to issue an official response to Guinea’s request, but observers believe the appeal could test the governing body’s readiness to revisit long-standing decisions in African football history.
Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson has sued the LPGA and USGA for its policies that prohibit biological males who underwent male puberty from competing in women’s competition.
The LPGA said in a statement it was aware of the lawsuit and would “let that process play out on the proper forum.”
“The LPGA’s gender policy was developed through a thoughtful, expert-informed process and is grounded in protecting the competitive integrity of elite women’s golf,” the statement said.
The USGA and LPGA changed gender policies for events in 2025 and beyond, declaring that players must be assigned female at birth or have transitioned to female before going through male puberty to be eligible to compete.
The 33-year-old Davidson didn’t transition until after puberty. Davidson competed in a U.S. Open qualifier and LPGA Qualifying School under a different policy in 2024, falling short in both efforts.
Davidson claimed in the lawsuit that the new policy effectively bans transgender women from competing in USGA women’s events or the LPGA because many states prevent children from taking hormones or blocking puberty.
When the USGA denied Davidson entry into the qualifier, Davidson claimed the Hackensack Golf Club violated the law by saying the USGA controlled all decisions regarding eligibility. Davidson began hormone treatments in Davidson’s early 20s in 2015 and in 2021 underwent gender-affirming surgery, which was required under the LPGA’s previous gender policy.
Davidson also filed a lawsuit against the women’s golf tour NXXT in December after it changed its policies to prevent biological males from competing against females.
NXXT and its attorneys from America First Legal filed its motion to dismiss in February, and believe the suit will be thrown out.
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“We are asking the courts to dismiss the claims, and we’re addressing the matter,” NXXT Golf CEO Stuart McKinnon told Fox News Digital.
“This was about simply protecting women’s sports. So the goal was really clarity and competitive integrity, and, as a professional tour, we believe it was our responsibility to define those categories.”
NXXT was one of the first women’s tours that stepped up to make a policy change. The LPGA then changed its own policy to bring about more restrictions to protect the women’s category in December 2024.
Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.
It’s about that time. The 2026 NCAA Tournament is through its first two days, and the bracket is sure to deliver some bangers across the first and second rounds of competition over the next four days. The field of 68 teams has already shrunken to 64 as the roller coaster continues with 16 more teams set to be eliminated by the time Thursday’s action concludes.
As the home of March Madness, CBS Sports will track every game and score, keeping you apprised of notable developments in our continuously updating live NCAA Tournament bracket with matchup analysis for every game. Sometimes, though, you want to visualize the entire bracket in a schedule format, which is precisely why we are here — so you can follow not just your team but those it may compete against on its journey to the Final Four.
Don’t forget to follow along with your printable bracket as first-round games begin Thursday. A stellar 8-9 matchup of the tournament kicks off the madness as (8) Ohio State meets (9) TCU in the opening first-round showdown. There’s a bevy of top-tier teams and showdowns set across the 12 hours that games are played Thursday, and prognosticators believe a few notable upsets are in store.
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Below you will find a March Madness schedule that features viewing information for each game on the slate broken down by region. It will be updated with scores, analysis and much more — all the way through the national championship.
2026 NCAA Tournament bracket, scores
All times Eastern
East
FIRST ROUND
Thursday — Greenville
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Thursday — Buffalo
Friday — San Diego
Friday — Philadelphia
SECOND ROUND
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Saturday — Greenville
(1) Duke vs. (9) TCU | 5:15 p.m. | CBS
Saturday — Buffalo
(3) Michigan State vs. (6) Louisville | 2:45 p.m. | CBS
Sunday — San Diego
(5) St. John’s vs. (4) Kansas/(13) Cal Baptist
Sunday — Philadelphia
(7) UCLA vs. (2) UConn/(15) Furman
West
FIRST FOUR
Tuesday — Dayton
FIRST ROUND
Thursday — Portland
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Friday — San Diego
Friday — St. Louis
SECOND ROUND
Saturday — Portland
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(3) Gonzaga (11) Texas | 7:10 p.m. | TBS
(4) Arkansas vs. (12) High Point | 9:45 p.m. | TBS
Sunday — San Diego
(1) Arizona vs. (9) Utah State
Sunday — St. Louis
(2) Purdue vs. (7) Miami (FL)/(10) Missouri
Midwest
FIRST FOUR
Tuesday — Dayton
Wednesday — Dayton
FIRST ROUND
Thursday — Buffalo
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Friday — St. Louis
Friday — Tampa
Friday — Philadelphia
SECOND ROUND
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Saturday — Buffalo
(1) Michigan vs. (9) Saint Louis | 12:10 p.m. | CBS
Sunday — St. Louis
(2) Iowa State vs. (7) Kentucky
Sunday — Tampa
(4) Alabama vs. (5) Texas Tech
Sunday — Philadelphia
(3) Virginia vs. (6) Tennessee
South
FIRST FOUR
Wednesday — Dayton
FIRST ROUND
Thursday — Oklahoma City
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Thursday — Greenville
Thursday — Oklahoma City
Friday — Tampa
SECOND ROUND
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Saturday — Greenville
(3) Illinois vs. (11) VCU | 7:50 p.m. | CBS
Saturday — Oklahoma City
(2) Houston vs. (10) Texas A&M | 6:10 p.m. | TNT
(4) Nebraska vs. (5) Vanderbilt | 8:45 p.m. | TNT
Sunday — Tampa
(1) Florida/(16) Prairie View vs. (8) Iowa
2026 NCAA Tournament schedule
Sweet 16
Thursday, March 26 — 7:10 p.m. start (CBS, TBS) Toyota Center (Houston), SAP Center (San Jose)
Friday, March 27 — 7:10 p.m. start (CBS, TBS) United Center (Chicago), Capital One Arena (Washington, D.C.)
Elite Eight
Saturday, March 28 — 6:09 p.m. start (TBS) Toyota Center (Houston), SAP Center (San Jose)
Sunday, March 29 — 2:15 p.m. start (CBS) United Center (Chicago), Capital One Arena (Washington, D.C.)
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Final Four
Saturday, April 4 — 6:09 p.m. start (TBS) Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)
National Championship
Monday, April 6 — 8:50 p.m. (TBS) Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)
“You… are… toxic!”, Kit Wilson spat at Jelly Roll last Friday, as around 1m viewers watched WWE SmackDown live. You may know Jelly Roll – a US music star with 21m monthly Spotify listeners at the time of writing, and the latest in a long line of celebrities to cross the divide into professional wrestling. Pertinently, though, he is also the latest perceived offender in Wilson’s crusade on toxic masculinity.
Wilson is a layered personality. One moment, he’s all gyrating hips, flexed biceps, and sparkly, sleeveless jacket, while his Charli XCX-inspired theme music plays; the next, he’s accusing his WWE colleagues of embodying a problematic hyper-masculinity.
The 31-year-old from Buckinghamshire (real name Samuel Stoker) has emerged as a captivating character in recent months, with fans frequently crediting him as one of the most entertaining parts of SmackDown. And Wilson is keen to stress that he is playing a character, to which he brings a quintessentially British satire, yet woven within these satirical strands are important issues.
British WWE star Kit Wilson is calling out his ‘toxic’ colleagues (WWE)
While Wilson has been received by his fellow wrestlers as a kind of villain, his character would no doubt suggest he is a role model – the hero of the piece, perhaps, if such self-aggrandising was not an example of “TOXIC!!!” masculinity.
As we chat, though, he gets into the intricacies of his stance. “This is a TV show, it’s an exaggeration of who I am,” he tells The Independent over Zoom, seated by a window but leaning right up against the metaphorical fourth wall. “So, I do want to be a role model, but I’m not gonna be a martyr in saying: ‘You should follow everything I do.’
“However, I do want men to rise up together,” he continues, before adding three more “however”s: “Sometimes I’m gonna have beef with Jelly Roll, and I’m gonna talk some trash.”
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As he speaks, he’s sporting a pearl necklace, a short-sleeved blue shirt over a white vest, and his hair is slicked back into a ponytail. “Even with pearl necklaces,” he says, “you see a lot of hyper-masculine wrestlers wearing gold chains, and I think that can be attributed to bravado. A pearl necklace leans slightly more feminine, but I’m gonna do it in my own, powerful, masculine way.
“I hope it can send a message. If there’s a boy or girl in the audience who wants to wear a pearl necklace and express themself… If I have a small part in someone feeling okay with expressing themselves, that’s what I’m here for.”
Our conversation feels especially timely given this month’s release of Inside The Manosphere, a Louis Theroux documentary on Netflix, which also streams various WWE shows.
The documentary has sparked ubiquitous debate, opening the eyes of some viewers and confirming what others already knew: there are countless disillusioned, angry young men worldwide. Some of these males are being manipulated by opportunistic members of their own sex, who push the narrative that women are to blame for their struggles.
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Wilson brings a very British satire to his performances but addresses important topics all the while (WWE)
“I really enjoyed the documentary,” Wilson starts, “and it kind of rings true to something I’m diving into, when it comes to my character in the WWE. I talk a lot about toxic masculinity, and I have a lot of problems with my fellow roster members because they are…” – he suddenly emphasises the final word – “toxic!”
“Now, I don’t have a problem with masculinity and men in general,” he clarifies. “I think we should all rise up, but I do think there’s a certain problem that Louis highlighted massively. It could be due to a lack of education on the subject matter, naivety, maybe past trauma, but these men often enhance masculine personality traits.
“I don’t know if it was in this documentary or an article I read, but Louis said their projected strengths are just compensations for their weaknesses. I think he expertly showed that in the documentary. He interviews these guys, they have an answer for his initial question – it’s a very bravado-driven answer – but in classic Louis style, he leaves a pause and it creates an awkward bit of tension… and they often answer to relieve that tension. In that second answer, you get a much more honest, vulnerable answer.
“I view myself and the character I portray as very open to all aspects of personality – masculinity, femininity, vulnerability – and I think that openness makes us stronger as men. I think that’s true masculinity. The classic thing of ‘boys don’t cry’… You should cry; we should let these emotions out. These are healthy things. It’s like anger: I support anger, that’s a natural emotion; it’s aggression that I have a problem with.
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US music star Jelly Roll (right) hits Wilson’s signature pose – hip gyration included (WWE)
“These men are a negative influence, but I don’t think they realise it.” Perhaps they could take a few tips from Wilson when it comes to figuring out who they are.
He has built his in-ring character with a meticulous approach, and in honing a catchphrase (“TOXIC!”), pose and look, he has ticked key boxes that make for a memorable wrestler. He also had granular input into his theme music, which charted on iTunes earlier this year, sending WWE’s production team not only songs but specific production elements as references.
“I’m trying to make every single aspect as big as possible, but I’m only one half of the decision-making process,” Wilson explains. “The company’s got so much input as well, but I think you see how much of an effect it has when it all comes together.
“I’m still trying to create a massive entity,” he concludes. Either way, this entity is a layered one.
Netflix UK & Ireland subscribers can watch Raw, SmackDown, NXT and all WWE Premium Live events as part of their subscription, including WrestleMania live from Las Vegas on 18 and 19 April. Tickets for the WWE European Summer Tour are available now from wwe.com/events.
Mar 7, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; TCU Horned Frogs guard Olivia Miles (5) attempts to drive the ball past Kansas State Wildcats forward Nastja Claessens (4) during the second half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images
Olivia Miles assembled her sixth triple-double of the season and Taylor Bigby added a career-high 27 points to help No. 3 seed TCU coast to an 86-40 win over No. 14 seed UC San Diego during Sacramento 4 region first-round play in Fort Worth, Texas.
The Horned Frogs (30-5) will host No. 6 seed Washington in Sunday’s second round.
Miles (12 points, 16 rebounds, 14 assists) joined Oregon’s Sabrian Ionescu and Stanford’s Nicole Powell as the only Division I women to produce multiple triple-doubles in the NCAA Tournament.
Clara Silva (13 points, 11 boards) and Marta Suarez (11 points, 10 rebounds) added double-doubles for TCU, which doubled up UC San Diego (24-9) on the glass while shooting 49.2% from the floor and 50% from the perimeter.
Erin Condron (12 points) was the only UC San Diego player in double figures. The Tritons never led as they shot 22.7% from the floor (15 of 66) aand were held to 15 second-half points.
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No. 6 Washington 72, No. 11 South Dakota State
Avery Howell amassed 30 points and nine rebounds while canning seven 3-pointers as the Huskies snapped the Jackrabbits’ 10-game winning streak in Fort Worth, Texas.
Brynn McGaughy added 14 points for Washington while Sayvia Sellers handed out 10 assists and posted three of the Huskies’ 12 steals. Washington also owned a 40-25 margin on the glass and forced 18 turnovers that resulted in 16 points.
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Brooklyn Meyer scored 29 points on 13-of-20 shooting for South Dakota State (27-7), but she finished with three more field goals than the rest of her teammates combined. Emilee Fox contributed 14 points and made four of the five shots the Jackrabbits sank from the 3-point arc.
The game was tied at 15 after the first quarter, but Washington took charge by outscoring the Jackrabbits 23-9 in the second. Howell, McGaughy and Yulia Grabovskaia each scored six points in that defining quarter.
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