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How Gary Bettman Built the Model MLB Owners Crave

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You probably wouldn’t have to administer truth serum to Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred and his 30 co-bosses to get them to admit their dream scenario is to one day run their sport like Gary Bettman runs the National Hockey League.

Bettman, of course, got his beloved salary cap by locking the players out for the entire 2004-05 season and breaking the union. For funsies, he did it again in 2012-13, when a 48-game season was salvaged at the last second. The last two CBAs have been negotiated without a lockout, because when there’s no position from which the employees have to negotiate, there’s no need to actually negotiate. Ain’t that (North) America!

The cap has minimized how much players can make (sorry, “provided cost certainty”). The highest-paid players during the 2003-04 season were Peter Forsberg and Jaromir Jagr, each of whom made $11 million. That’s more than $19 million in 2026 money, or more than $3 million more than what Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl is making as the NHL’s highest-paid player this season.

Every franchise is now worth at least $1 billion. The expansion fees went from $80 million for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild at the turn of the century, to $500 million for the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017, to $650 million for the Seattle Kraken in 2021, to $2 BILLION if and when the league expands to 33 or 34 teams. (Spoiler alert: The league will expand to 33 or 34 or 36 teams.)

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With Manfred talking openly of expanding to 32 teams whenever the next CBA is hammered out (don’t hold your breath!), you can see owners salivating over their future portfolios like Homer Simpson at an all-you-can-eat buffet.

The owner-friendly economics have also trickled down to the free agency calendar and the trade deadline, which are the two most popular non-game events in any sport. A hard cap that eliminates any Mystery Team willing to outbid the field makes for a condensed market and creates a signing frenzy because nobody wants to be left without a chair when the music stops.

A whopping 55 players signed free agent deals in the NHL from July 1–3 last year, including 52 on the first two days. Nobody was left waiting for the eve of training camp to see Brock Boeser, Vladislav Gavrikov, Mikael Granlund or Nikolaj Ehlers sign with someone.

Thanks largely to Manfred and the owners creating a problem that only they can fix with a different economic system, just 51 baseball free agents have signed this winter — a figure that includes eight players who performed overseas last season. The likes of Luis Arraez, Eugenio Suárez, Framber Valdez and future Hall of Famers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander all remain unsigned, which is reminiscent of recent winters in which Pete Alonso, Alex Bregman, Blake Snell, Matt Chapman, Carlos Correa and Carlos Rodón lingered on the market into January, February or even March.

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The NHL trade market has also heated up well in advance of the March 6 deadline. Much of that is due to the upcoming three-week Olympic break, which forces teams to evaluate themselves more honestly than they might otherwise — especially with lean playoff races and a clear batch of sellers.

Thanks to the cost certainty of the salary cap, teams don’t have to chase long-shot playoff berths in hopes of making a few extra bucks from home playoff dates. As a result, the Vancouver Canucks have been holding a fire sale for months, while the New York Rangers, Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils and Columbus Blue Jackets have all made retooling or rebuilding trades.

It may not be a great year for the “salary cap equals parity” crowd, but hockey is nevertheless in the middle of a six-week stretch where fans are talking about the trades that have happened and the ones that might, all while watching the best players in the world face off in the Olympics.

Speaking of the Olympics, that’s another seemingly attainable dream for Manfred and his co-bosses. The 2028 Summer Olympics are scheduled for Los Angeles, and Manfred is hopeful he and the players union can reach an agreement allowing big leaguers to participate.

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Maybe this NHL season offers a glimpse at what Major League Baseball could have in 2028: an extended midseason Olympic break, a flurry of trades beforehand, and a Hot Stove League that’s something other than ice cold — all with billion-dollar expansion payouts looming on the horizon.

All Manfred and his co-bosses have to do to get there is do what Bettman already did.

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Deontay Wilder storms out of interview over Tyson Fury questions: ‘I’m not gonna talk about him!’

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Deontay Wilder stormed out of an interview on Wednesday after taking issue with a line of questioning about Tyson Fury, one of his biggest rivals, ahead of a press conference with upcoming opponent Derek Chisora.

On 4 April, Wilder will box Chisora in a heavyweight main event at London’s O2 Arena, in what is expected to be Chisora’s final fight as a professional.

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At 42, Britain’s Chisora is a seasoned veteran, while former world champion Wilder is similarly experienced at 40. But while Chisora has been enjoying a resurgence recently, winning his last three bouts, Wilder is in must-win territory after going 2-4 in his last six contests.

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The American, seen as arguably the most-devastating puncher of his generation, was on a frightening run of unanswered victories until 2018, when he secured a controversial draw with Fury. In 2020, Fury stopped Wilder to take the WBC title from the “Bronze Bomber”, before replicating that result in a third clash in 2021. Since then, Wilder has stopped Robert Helenius and Tyrrell Anthony Herndon but lost to Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker.

But his past with Fury cropped up again this week, when Wilder accused the Briton of having cheated during their rivalry. This was put to Wilder before Wednesday’s press conference with Chisora, as the American was questioned by TalkSport host Simon Jordan.

“I don’t want to talk about him,” Wilder told Jordan, who replied. “No, you’re going to.”

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“We’re here about Derek Chisora,” Wilder pushed back. “We’re not gonna talk about him [Fury] at all. I’m not gonna talk about him at all. Understand that.”

“No, fair enough,” Jordan said, in a bid to cool an intensifying atmosphere, with Wilder responding: “Alright then, so let’s move on. It’s all about Derek Chisora, that’s it. I’m back, baby! You all understand that? 4 April, it’s going down at the O2, you better be there or you’ll be a square.”

Deontay Wilder (right) takes on Britain's Derek Chisora on April 4th (Getty Images)

Deontay Wilder (right) takes on Britain’s Derek Chisora on April 4th (Getty Images)

“I understand that, I understand that,” said Jordan. “Fabulous. The only reason I mentioned it is because it’s part of the shtick that goes with you, and I missed you the first time around, when you came in here three years ago – when you were in your pomp four years ago, doing ‘Bomb Squad!’ and all that sort of stuff.

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“And I have always wanted to have a conversation with you, because you’ve made observations about Fury. I have my views on Fury, and you’ve called him a cheat.”

“The biggest in boxing!” Wilder exclaimed, before making accusations against Fury, who is due to emerge from his fifth retirement when he boxes Arslanbek Makhmudov on 11 April. Fury has always denied any accusations against him.

“But it leads me to a conclusion,” Jordan followed up. “I want to put something to you about you, and Fury just happens to be the hook for it. You talked about being cheated in that fight, you talked about water being spiked.”

“Facts,” said Wilder, before Jordan added: “You talked about your [ring walk] outfit being too heavy for you.”

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Deontay Wilder accused Tyson Fury of cheating during their trilogy fights between 2018-2021 (Getty Images)

Deontay Wilder accused Tyson Fury of cheating during their trilogy fights between 2018-2021 (Getty Images)

“I didn’t say that,” Wilder claimed. Jordan went on: “You talked about a long count [by the referee in the first fight with Fury].”

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After Wilder said “facts” once more, Jordan continued: “It sounds to me, given the character you are, that’s a little bit flaky. You lost those fights, and those fights were lost, and you saying someone like Fury cheated you in those fights is kind of disappointing to me.”

“Because I know the truth!” shouted Wilder. “I have the facts. Understand that […] Because when the documentary and everything starts to come out, I’m gonna show everything.” Earlier in the week, Wilder had similarly referenced a documentary he is apparently working on.

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“I’m not a Fury fan,” Jordan said, as Wilder stood up from his chair and walked towards the host, with security holding back the boxer.

“I don’t give a f*** about that!” Wilder shouted. “I don’t give a f*** about it! I said we didn’t want to bring him up in the first place. It ain’t got s*** to do with him!”

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Wilder’s last fight was his stoppage of Herndon in the seventh round in June, while Chisora’s was his decision win over Otto Wallin in February 2025.

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Chisora vs Wilder will mark each man’s 50th fight as a professional.

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3 mistakes Tony Khan must avoid on this week’s AEW Dynamite

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Tony Khan will present tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite from Las Vegas this week. The show will take place at the Pearl Theater at Palms Casino Resort, and fans have high expectations for it. AEW has announced a stacked lineup of stars for the show, including some big-time matches featuring top AEW names.

As of now, Tony Khan has announced four big showdowns for the event. Hangman Page will take on Mark Davis in a singles clash. Apart from that, Andrade and Kenny Omega will also square off in a big matchup. Moreover, MJF will take on Brody King in an AEW World Title Eliminator Match. Additionally, Jack Perry and Ricochet will also clash over the AEW National Title. There are several other top stars like Kris Statlander and Jon Moxley expected to appear on the show.

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In this article, let’s take a look at 3 mistakes Tony Khan must avoid on this week’s AEW Dynamite:

#3. A clear decision for the Andrade and Kenny Omega match

Andrade will face Kenny Omega tonight on AEW Dynamite. It is a much-anticipated showdown between the two stars following El Idolo’s attack on The Cleaner on Dynamite’s 6th Anniversary last year. However, both stars are brimming with momentum as of late in the Jacksonville-based promotion. Besides, Andrade and Omega are top contenders for the AEW World Championship.

Therefore, Tony Khan can create a solid storyline involving the two stars down the line. However, a defeat to any one of them could destroy their momentum. Hence, instead of giving this match a clear closure, there should be a screwed ending for this showdown. It would help Khan to keep this feud open without affecting anyone’s credibility and momentum in the company.

#2. No follow-up on Megan Bayne & Penelope Ford’s title quest

Last week, on AEW Dynamite, Megan Bayne and Penelope Ford came down the aisle to give a staredown to the AEW Women’s World Champion Kris Statlander and the AEW World Women’s Tag Team Champions Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron. That moment alone shone a massive spotlight on Bayne and Ford, sparking interest from a lot of fans in their work down the line.

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However, if Tony Khan did not give any follow-up to that intense staredown, it would make last week’s segment meaningless. Instead, the AEW President should book Bayne and Ford in some sort of confrontation with The Babes of Wrath and Kris Statlander. Besides, fans have been clamoring to see Megan chase the AEW Women’s World Title. Therefore, it sets up a golden opportunity for AEW to build Megan Bayne to the top.

#1. Another loss to Jack Perry on AEW Dynamite

Jack Perry will challenge the champion Ricochet for the AEW National Championship tonight on AEW Dynamite. It is a rematch between the two stars after their last title match on 31 December 2025, AEW Dynamite. Perry made his return to AEW last year following a prolonged hiatus. However, he has not achieved anything big since then in the company.

He has already faced a defeat against Ricochet on Dynamite, and another loss could heavily impact his credibility. Therefore, Tony Khan should crown Perry a new National Champion tonight. The Lightskin Kingpin has already managed to have a decent run with the title. The Scapegoat has the potential to heavily elevate the prestige of the championship down the line.