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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Not everybody representing the red, white and blue sounded necessarily ecstatic about doing so in the Olympics.
Freeskier Hunter Hess said he had “mixed emotions” representing the U.S. in Milan, while skier Mikaela Shiffrin said she wanted to represent her own “values” in Milan, and it was “tough to reconcile” violence in America while “competing for medals at an Olympic event.”
But for two-time gold medalist Jordan Stolz, there were no problems.
Gold medalist Jordan Stolz of the U.S. celebrates after the men’s 500-meter speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026.(Ben Curtis/AP Photo)
In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, the speedskater who won gold twice in Italy, Stolz said he paid no mind to any other athletes’ comments.
“I didn’t really pay attention to it, but I’m always happy to represent the USA,” Stolz said.
“I think we’re the best country.”
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It was not just winter Olympians who shared unease about representing the United States on the grandest stage. In an interview with Fox News Digital months before the 2024 Summer Olympics, Noah Lyles said representing the U.S. was “bittersweet” and came with a “heavy heart,” saying Black people in America have “a lot to deal with.”
Noah Lyles of the United States poses after winning the gold medal in the men’s 200 meters final at the World Athletics Championships. The event took place in Tokyo on Sept. 19, 2025.(Matthias Schrader/AP)
Hess said it was “a little hard” to represent the United States, because “there’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t.” Those comments prompted President Donald Trump to call him a “real loser.”
“Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S. I just kind of want to do it for my friends and my family and the people that support me getting here,” Hess said in February.
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Shriffin said, “I think there’s a lot of hardship in the world globally, and there’s a lot of heartbreak. There’s a lot of violence. It can be tough to reconcile that when you’re also competing for medals at an Olympic event.”
Ahead of the World Baseball Classic, Bryce Harper, who played for Team USA, said it was “crazy” to not fully embrace wearing the Stars and Stripes.
United States Bryce Harper celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during the eighth inning in the championship game of the World Baseball Classic against Venezuela, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Miami.(Lynne Sladky/AP)
The Philadelphia Phillies first baseman said no matter where one may stand politically, it is always the greatest honor to represent the United States.
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“Obviously, there’s things that are going on in the country that, you know, aren’t good or people don’t believe in or whatever, right? Politics aside, for me, when you’re going and representing your country, you’re representing your country, man. Like, block all that out. It’s sports.
“We want to put something on the TV that is happy and good and just great for everybody to watch, right? So, representing your country, there’s nothing greater than representing your country. There’s really nothing at all.
The Calgary kid who almost hijacked the Presidents’ Trophy party in Denver Thursday night wasn’t even supposed to be in the lineup.
Tyson Gross, a 23‑year‑old college free agent who was supposed to be watching this one from the press box until Ryan Strome fell ill, nearly authored the Flames’ feel‑good moment of the season.
Down 2–0 late, with Dustin Wolf miraculously keeping things close by making 38 saves, Ryan Huska tapped Gross on the shoulder for an offensive‑zone draw with the goalie pulled. A show of trust for a kid playing just his third NHL game.
Gross rewarded him by winning it, as he did on eight of ten attempts, and then going straight to the blue paint.
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Seconds later, he was living the dream.
A rebound popped loose at the top of the crease, and Gross, on his backhand, shoveled it home with three minutes left.
His first NHL goal. The bench erupted.
“Obviously it’s something you dream of your entire life, so to be able to get it is special,” he told reporters after the game.
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“It’ll go in my parents’ house for sure.”
As he told Sportsnet’s Brendan Parker, “I kind of blanked out a little bit. It took a second to realize I scored a goal in the NHL.”
And then, just a few minutes later, he did it again, prompting captain Mikael Backlund to stare wide-eyed from the bench and mouth the words all Flames fans were thinking: “Wow.”
Alas, the celebration lasted only long enough for the replay to hit the Jumbotron.
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Colorado challenged for offside, and it didn’t take long to see why. Gross had entered the zone early on a Matt Coronato pass. The dramatic, “is this really happening” goal was wiped out.
It ruined the type of story Flames fans hope to see much more of, as the Flames’ youth movement is bound to produce all sorts of milestone moments from its future stars as they try to gain footing in the bigs.
“Unfortunately the second one didn’t go in to tie the game up,” Gross said.
“But hopefully more opportunities in the future.”
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The Avs added an empty‑netter moments later to seal a 3–1 win, leaving the kid who grew up 20 minutes west of the Saddledome with a souvenir puck on its way to being mounted and presented to his family.
Huska, who is doing well to give all sorts of youngsters primo chances to make impacts, couldn’t hide his pride in the rookie.
“He did a really good job winning draws and he went right to the net,” the coach said.
“We’re quite excited for him to score his first goal in the NHL at a big moment. He should leave here feeling a lot more confident.”
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Gross became just the ninth Calgary‑born player ever to score for the Flames.
The college season came to an end in the Frozen Four semifinal for Flames prospects Abram Wiebe, Cole Reschny and Cade Littler Thursday when North Dakota lost 2-1 to Wisconsin. The Flames sent assistant GM Brad Pascall and director of player development Ray Edwards to take in the action in Vegas, and will do their best to ink Wiebe to an NHL contract while they are there. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound left-shot defenceman was acquired in the Rasmus Andersson trade, and will graduate one year early, meaning the clock is ticking on the Flames signing him before he is eligible to be a free agent. The Flames have saved one of their two open contract spots for Wiebe, and would love to see the third-year finance major make his NHL debut next week when the Flames wrap up the season with three games at home.
Wiebe, 22, was a seventh-round pick of the Golden Knights who had five goals and 29 points in 39 games.
Reschny, who was the Flames’ 18th pick overall last summer, had a solid freshman season, with 35 points in 35 games, not to mention a stellar world juniors showing.
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The Flames said they want to talk to the 19-year-old Saskatchewan native about his future plans before helping him map out what’s best for his development.
32 Thoughts: The Podcast
Hockey fans already know the name, but this is not the blog. From Sportsnet, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas is a weekly deep dive into the biggest news and interviews from the hockey world.
Three more veterans were scratched from the lineup Thursday, including Kevin Bahl, who left two shifts into the team’s last game with a lower body injury.
After making awkward contact with Thomas Harley along the end boards, Bahl immediately grabbed his left knee and limped off the ice in obvious discomfort. He left for the dressing room soon thereafter and was sent back to Calgary for further observation.
Strome was ill, and Blake Coleman missed the game as he had rushed back to Dallas to attend the birth of his fourth child.
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The Flames played in Dallas Tuesday, where he got to spend time with his family, but after flying to Denver with the team he was immediately summoned by his wife Jordan to return in time to meet little Cade, who decided to show up a little earlier than expected.
The Avs played without former Flame Nazem Kadri, who left Colorado’s last game after blocking a shot. The team hopes to have the veteran centre back in time for the playoffs.
Sep 6, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes wide receiver CJ Daniels (7) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings have five selections after Round 4 of the 2026 NFL Draft, and one of those late picks might be used on Miami wide receiver CJ Daniels.
Minnesota is still digging into wideout help ahead of the draft’s middle rounds.
Daniels flew into the Twin Cities this week for a pre-draft visit, a decent indicator that the franchise has a keen eye on the Hurricane.
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Daniels Brings Production, Experience, and Midround Upside
The Vikings are widely known for drafting productive wideouts.
Oct 4, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes wide receiver CJ Daniels (7) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak S. Campbell Stadium, bringing energy to the sideline as Miami built early momentum in a rivalry matchup. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images
Daniels to MIN for Pre-Draft Visit
Daniels showed up in Eagan on Wednesday, and NFL writer Dave Holcomb noted, “The Minnesota Vikings will again feature a potential top wide receiver duo with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison next season. But that doesn’t mean the Vikings won’t add a receiver in the later rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft. Should that happen, Minnesota targeting a potential sleeper such as CJ Daniels could make a lot of sense.”
“The Vikings are doing their research on Daniels two weeks ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. NFL writer Arye Pulli reported Wednesday that the Vikings are hosting Daniels on a pre-draft visit. Pulli called the wideout a natural pass catcher and Day 3 sleeper.”
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Daniels ranks No. 193 on the Consensus Big Board as of April 9th, making him a 6th-Round prospect with the draft two weeks away.
Daniels’s Scouting Report
The short story on Daniels? He’s “old” (24) and slow — but polished, technically-refined, and handsy (in a good way). He logged 50 catches for 557 yards and 7 touchdowns last year at Miami. The main knock on him, causing his late-round draft stock, is a lack of speed and contested-catch process.
NFL Draft Buzz‘s Wyatt Brooks on Daniels: “Here’s the deal with Daniels: he fits best in an offense that values precision over explosiveness. Concepts built around timing throws, screen packages, and route combinations that create space through design rather than pure athleticism will get the most out of him.”
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“He’s not going to be a number one target at the next level, but as a complementary piece who can block, move the chains, and give you professional route running from multiple alignments, there’s genuine day-two value here. His six years of college experience and the fact that he produced at three different programs show a player who adapts quickly and earns trust wherever he goes.”
There’s actually a healthy debate on Daniels’s draft placement; some pundits peg him as high as a 3rd-Rounder. Others claim he’s an undrafted free-agent-to-be.
Brooks added, “That kind of reliability goes a long way on Sundays. Daniels is the type of receiver who probably won’t light up a room during the pre-draft process, but put his tape on and you see a guy who understands how to play the position. His route craft is legitimate.”
“He uses his lower body to deceive defenders, changes pace within his stems, and consistently wins out of breaks with quickness rather than raw speed. The savvy is real, and it shows up week after week regardless of the uniform he’s wearing.”
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Age a Slight Concern
By the time Week 18 rolls around — hopefully the Vikings are competing for the NFC North crown and a playoff spot — Daniels will turn 25. Yes, a 25-year-old rookie.
Dec 31, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; Miami Hurricanes wide receiver CJ Daniels (7) secures a catch while defended by Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr. (3) in the first quarter of the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium, battling through coverage in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
Is that a death sentence? Absolutely not. But when Daniels turns 25, some wide receivers from years past would be negotiating a second contract or already have one. Or — consider this: Daniels will be 25 in January, and he hasn’t been drafted yet. Jordan Addison turned 24 this offseason.
Some draft heads hyperfocus on a rookie’s age; others don’t care. Choose your fighter.
The Need for Daniels
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Tai Felton is the Vikings’ WR3 on paper right now. That might be great; it could be terrible. Minnesota drafted him in Round 3 last year, and as a rookie, he hardly played on offense, instead seeing action on special teams. Drafting WRs in Round 3 generally indicates a role on offense, not just special teams assignments.
Dec 31, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; Miami Hurricanes wide receiver CJ Daniels (7) dives forward for a first down during first-quarter action against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium, extending the play with effort as Miami pushed the ball downfield in playoff action. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
Then, Minnesota allowed Jalen Nailor to leave in free agency one month ago. He landed with the Las Vegas Raiders, reuniting with Kirk Cousins and Klint Kubiak in the AFC West. If Minnesota does not trust Felton as the WR3 this season, it needs an alternative, either a rookie or a free agent from the open market.
Because of Daniels’s “advanced age” as a rookie, he’s a curveball option for WR3. And the Vikings are clearly curious about him; he’s at team headquarters this week.
German boxer Julia Igel has insisted she is not frightened of Olympic champion Imane Khelif, despite telling DW that she considers her Algerian opponent to be “male” amid questions over Khelif’s eligibility for the female category.
“Someone that might have something to do with the male gender shouldn’t be in women’s boxing,” Igel said ahead of the fight in Paris on April 23. “You can’t say you’re a woman and you feel like a woman. Just the punching power and the danger that you face when you have a male in front of you, it is different.”
Khelif is not transgender and was assigned female at birth, but has admitted that she has the SRY gene, which is found on the Y chromosome and triggers the development of male characteristics. Critics argue this gives her an unfair and dangerous advantage over other women in the ring.
Not that Igel appears bothered by the apparent additional risks.
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“I’m definitely not scared,” the 25-year-old told DW at her training camp in Berlin. “And that is the best part, because when my coach asked me if I wanted to do this fight, my last thought was fear. I know my skills, I know my abilities.”
Khelif’s controversial Paris gold medal
By making her professional debut in the French capital, Khelif is returning to the scene of not only her greatest triumph, but also the biggest controversy of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Her gold medal was overshadowed by accusations that she had failed unspecified sex tests in the two years before the Games.
Those tests, according to the International Boxing Association, which was expelled by the International Olympic Committee in 2023, allegedly showed Khelif and another female boxer, Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, as having XY (male) chromosomes and “male levels” of testosterone. (Lin has since been “deemed to be female” by World Boxing, the body now in charge of the sport at the Olympics).
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While Igel still uses the pronoun “she” for Khelif, Ikram Kerwat, the German’s coach and manager, is far more blunt.
“Ever since it came out that he has XY chromosomes, he has balls, he produces testosterone … yes, it’s a he,” said Kerwat, a four-time world champion.
Imane Khelif defeated Angela Carini on her way to winning gold at the 2024 Paris OlympicsImage: John Locher/AP/picture alliance
It does all beg the question: Why then take on the fight? According to Kerwat, several other female boxers turned down the opportunity because of the questions surrounding Khelif, who hasn’t fought competitively since the Olympics.
Igel, for her part, sees no contradiction in complaining about safety, and yet not feeling scared.
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“I’m here for the challenge,” she said. “I think the special thing about this fight is the reach that it has, the people talking about it. This is really something that we will do to put out a statement to the world. So this one is definitely going to take us to new heights.”
The 26-year-old’s February admission, to the French sports newspaper L’Equipe, has added further fuel to her critics. In the same interview, though, she said that her difference was “natural;” that she had lowered her testosterone levels; and that she had sent her medical records to World Boxing but hadn’t received a response.
“If she really is 100% female, then she can go fight in the women’s sport,” Igel said. “If not, then she should stop being so loud about it.”
DW has approached Khelif for comment via her promoter and PR company.
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Igel: I can beat Khelif
In contrast to her debutant opponent, Igel has had seven professional bouts, winning five (four by knockout) and losing two, her most recent a defeat on points to the American Stephanie Simon in Los Angeles.
The former kickboxer, who took up combat sports in her Swiss hometown for a “safe space” during her parents’ divorce, has enjoyed a steady rise under Kerwat’s tutelage, after the pair met in a Berlin gym two years ago.
This is the biggest fight of Igel’s career by far, although she says Khelif will also be feeling the heat.
“It’s a lot of pressure on her, because the boxing world is not that happy to see her in pro boxing with the women,” Igel said. “So that’s just what we’re going to use, because I think we have the world on our side.”
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As part of her preparations for the bout, Khelif had a training match against French boxer Davina Michel, who competes in a higher weight category. But Igel, who is conceding eight centimeters (3.15 inches) in height to Khelif, is confident of victory.
“I’ve got it all,” she said. “I’ve got the skills, I’ve got the power, I’ve got the precision, and I have something inside of me that if I unlock it and set it free, then it doesn’t matter who’s in front of me.”
Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre could face disciplinary action at The Masters after he directed a middle finger at the 15th green during a quadruple bogey.
The 29-year-old plunged towards the bottom of the leaderboard after his nine on the par-five hole, ultimately posting an eight-over par 80.
The left-hander offered the gesture after he struck his approach into the pond guarding the front of the green.
Having taken a penalty drop, his again found the water, and then his second drop flew to the back of the green.
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MacIntyre also reacted angrily to his second shot on the 17th, and did not speak to the waiting media after his round.
Masters organisers are known for their strict rules and MacIntyre could be in further trouble after his outward nine of 39 effectively ended his chance of tournament victory.
The 29-year-old left-hander was picked out by some observers as a potential contender after finishing fourth at the recent Players Championship.
He lead after the third round at the Texas Open last week, but was overtaken by JJ Spahn to finish as runner-up.
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Defending champion Rory McIlroy and American Sam Burns posted five-under par 67s to lead The Masters after the first round.
Spring Football is coming to a head with intrasquad games and showcases throughout the West.
After another wild offseason of recruiting and transfers, the games represent the first opportunity for fans and media to see the new players and units.
Here is a list of all of the region’s known spring games and showcases, sorted by date and time (All times PT).
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The events begin with Montana on April 10th and conclude with San Diego State on May 2nd.
Friday, April 10
Montana,5:00 pm Nevada,6:00 pm
Saturday, April 11
Colorado State,9:30 am (approx.) USC (Fan Fest – no game),9:00 am Colorado,Noon Idaho State,1:00 pm Stanford,2:00 pm
Saturday, April 18
UC Davis,10:15 am Utah State,11:00 am Cal,1:00 pm San Jose State,1:00 pm
AUGUSTA, Ga. — A head coach to your favorite golfing stars offers this: “You hear this more at Augusta than anywhere else: ‘I can’t take my range game to the course.’”
This is not a pre-tournament comment. It’s something you hear after the Thursday rounds have been posted.
There’s a reason for that as there is a reason for everything. The tournament practice range at Augusta is about 300 yards wide, flatter than the famous club driveway behind it, with only about a dozen pins and a dozen pines at which to aim. On the course itself, once you’re off the tee, there are few flat lies, lots of pine straw, greenside grain leaning this way and that — and a nervous system in overdrive. So in that sense, the range and the tournament course — on Thursday, on Friday, on the weekend — are on different planets.
But there’s something else that happens more at the Masters, the first Grand Slam event of the year, than anywhere else. At 4:30 Thursday afternoon, there were six players on the range and six instructors. There were two players on the putting green with instructors. There was another player by the chipping green, his coach behind him. Over the course of the afternoon, more players came to this temple of practice for a post-round session, every last one (but one) accompanied by a teacher. Every coach had either a phone or a tablet in hand and many of the players had Trackman devices diagnosing their every swing.
This is a relatively new development, player and coach continuing to work together after the start of a tournament. In the 1990s, you would often see Ernie Els and sometimes Tiger Woods on a range without an instructor with a tournament underway. (Every blue moon, you’d see Els or Woods alone on the range, the caddie sent home for the day. Incredible to watch.) But over the past 10 or 15 years, and you see this more at Augusta intra-tournament than anywhere else, the professional golfer has morphed from lonesome cowboy to CEO of Team Your Name Here.
In 2015, Jordan Spieth won the Masters. In 2016, he was the third-round leader after an indifferent Saturday 73. He had been going it alone that week. Saturday night, he made an emergency call to his swing coach, Cameron McCormick, looking for help with a case of the short rights. McCormick arrived Sunday morning. Whatever they worked on worked, until it didn’t. Spieth shot a Sunday 73 and Danny Willett won by three. Over the past decade on the Augusta range, you see a player, you see an instructor and a gizmo.
“It’s probably been a real thing for the last 10 or 15 years,” Adam Scott said Thursday. He’s 45 and has been a touring pro playing the world for 25 years. “There aren’t 85 coaches here this week, but then there’s someone like Pete Cowen who has a bunch of guys. And I’m not just saying [swing] coaches. There are chipping coaches, putting coaches, psychologists. There are a lot of coaches.”
But only one coach is allowed on the range with the player at Augusta and it’s always the main swing coach. It’s good for business. A swing coach at the Masters is usually highly invisible, but when you’re on the inside it’s an enviable place to be.
“Ideally, you’ve got everything organized before you get here,” said Scott, who shot a first-round 72. “I feel a lot of the time when I had a coach here they were just watching and not saying too much. Even on a day like today, when you’re a little off, sometimes you just need someone to say, I didn’t feel good today, but I don’t think it’s bad. What do you think? ‘Nothing wrong with it. Go hit 20 balls and come back tomorrow.’ But it looks like everyone is going for perfection.”
Augusta National is not a course that lends itself to perfection. Things go wrong. It’s kind of a head game, because Augusta National, the club, sells the pursuit of perfection, but things go wrong from Thursday morning to Sunday night, for every last player.
And that’s the point of the unnamed mental coach here — the players are searching for perfection on the range with a tournament underway, and it’s counter-productive. The real work, the mental coach said, should be between the player and the caddie, because the player and the caddie are out there together. You can’t make a lifeline call in tournament golf.
“Early in my career, there was a phase where the coach wasn’t around a lot, and I think that was good,” Scott said. “At 21, I didn’t know what bad golf was. I’d just go out and play.
“Later, it was more about taking it to the next level, with more eyes on it. That was how it worked for me, and it worked well. Now I have a lot less of that. I speak to Trevor [Immelman] often about how I feel and my swing but I don’t have him watching all the time. There are phases.”
Rory McIlroy, for instance. There have been times in his career where his lifelong swing coach was behind him every time he went to the range. And then there was last year, when McIlroy won the Masters. There was no talk about his team, no discussion of we did this and we did that. He and his caddie, Harry Diamond, were on the range. He and Diamond were on the 18th green Sunday night. McIlroy signed his playoff scorecard. The only other signature required was his opponent’s.
After news that Max Verstappen’s race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, is leaving Red Bull for McLaren went viral, rumors of McLaren team principal Andrea Stella moving back to Ferrari have gained traction, especially after comments made by Williams Racing driver Carlos Sainz resurfaced online, linking Stella to Ferrari.
MotorBiscuit reported Lambiase’s exit from Red Bull, set to happen at the end of 2027, as he joins the Papaya outfit in 2028 in a multi-million dollar deal. This comes less than two years after Lambiase became the head of racing at Red Bull during an internal restructuring in 2024.
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Lambiase’s McLaren signing has led to speculation about a potential change in McLaren’s leadership structure, especially amid rumors of Stella moving back to Ferrari, a team where he worked for 15 years as a performance engineer for Michael Schumacher and Kimi Räikkönen, before becoming a race engineer for Räikkönen and eventually for Fernando Alonso.
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Stella joined McLaren in 2015 as head of race operations and became team principal in December 2022. According to a report by F1 Oversteer, Stella is heading to Ferrari in the future, and as a result, Lambiase has been poached from Red Bull to potentially fill his role.
Read More from MotorBiscuit:
Atlassian Williams F1 Team on X | Carlos Sainz
The report quoted F1 reporter Jacky Martens, who stated that Stella has already “signed a pre-contract with Ferrari.” But it remains to be seen who Stella replaces at the Italian team if the rumor turns out to be true. Could it be Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur?
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Amid Stella’s Ferrari rumors, Sainz’s statements from his time with McLaren resurfaced, in which he said he wished to take Stella and other key members with him to Ferrari.
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The Spaniard joined McLaren in 2019 but left after the 2020 season to join Ferrari. Appearing on F1’s Beyond the Grid Podcast last month, Sainz acknowledged Stella’s expertise, naming him among the McLaren figures he would bring to Ferrari. Sainz said:
“I remember telling my team when we were leaving McLaren, ‘This team is actually a very good race team. These people are going to go up, they’re going to keep climbing.’
“I know how good Andrea Stella is, I know how good [technical director] Pete Prodromou is and I remember leaving that team and having two, three or four names that if I could have taken them with me to Ferrari, I for sure would have taken them.”
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He added:
“I knew they were doing things well and they were really good people that I enjoyed working with a lot.”
Kolkata Knight Riders’ Finn Allen (R) walks back to the pavilion after losing his wicket.
NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Rovman Powell did not hold back after his side’s heartbreaking last-ball defeat to Lucknow Super Giants, pointing to an umpiring “blunder” while also admitting that conditions at Eden Gardens played their part in the result.Defending 181/4, KKR seemed in control when LSG slumped to 128/7 after 16 overs. But a sensational late onslaught from Mukul Choudhary, who smashed an unbeaten 54 off 27 balls, turned the game on its head as LSG sealed a three-wicket win on the final delivery.‘Maybe it was a blunder’The flashpoint came earlier in the innings when Finn Allen was dismissed in controversial fashion. His top-edge was caught at deep third man, but replays suggested the fielder may have brushed the boundary rope. Despite the close call, on-field umpires chose not to refer the decision upstairs.“Definitely more angles should have been looked at,” Powell said. “We thought we had seen in the IPL that umpires have gone upstairs for lesser things, and not as close as that.”“Maybe it was a blunder on their part, but we’re not going to say that is what cost us two points tonight,” he added, stopping short of placing full blame on the officials.‘Not a 220-wicket’Powell also highlighted the nature of the Eden Gardens surface, saying it was far from the high-scoring tracks typically associated with the venue.“It’s not that classic Eden Gardens wicket where you just go and blast. It was not a 220-wicket; there was a little bit in it for the bowlers, especially with slower balls,” he explained.Despite the loss, Powell credited Mukul’s composure under pressure. “You want to make Eden Gardens your fortress… but credit to the youngster, he batted really well,” he said.KKR’s struggles continue, with just one point from four matches so far. However, Powell remains optimistic.“If you see the history, winners build momentum in the middle and back end. It’s not easy when you don’t start well, but our destiny is still in our hands. We still have 10 games left,” he said.
The writings were on the wall as Lucknow Super Giants’ wicket-keeper batter Mukul Choudhary arrived at the Eden Gardens with the hope of reviving his team’s chase of 182 runs. After a cautious start, Mukul went bonkers with the bat, hitting an unbeaten 54 off 27 balls as LSG chased down the target against KKR on the final ball of the match. While many would say that Mukul Choudhary came out of the syllabus, his LSG teammate Arjun Tendulkar had warned the Indian Premier League (IPL) in advance of the six-hitting prowess the 22-year-old possesses.
During an interview with Shubhankar Mishra, Arjun narrated how amazed he was upon seeing Mukul’s 360-degree hitting ability.
“Mukul Choudhary hits amazing sixes. Yesterday, in a practice match, I saw his sixes. I was really impressed. He hits everywhere, square-leg, point, upper cut, behind the bowler. I was really impressed by his batting,” Arjun Tendulkar had said during an interview with Shubhankar Mishra.
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Arjun Tendulkar’s game knowledge, he said Mukul Choudhary is the player to watch out for this season from LSG pic.twitter.com/LA3ZHwkAtK
LSG needed 54 runs from the final 4 overs to win the match, with Mukul the only recognised batter in the middle. Despite the fact that he had to face some prominent bowlers in the form of Cameron Green, Kartik Tyagi and Vaibhav Arora in the death overs, the batter put his 360-degree skills to use and struck sixes all across the park. Narrating Mukul’s strength, Arjun had revealed how the batter can sixes even square of the wicket. But, KKR bowlers looked underprepared facing him.
After the game, even LSG skipper Rishabh Pant admitted that he had no words left to describe Mukul’s performance.
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“I do not have words to describe but what a fantastic effort. One thing I made sure of personally is trust, and when you believe in someone, a player can do wonders. The character, with each and every match like this, shows something is building. We don’t want to talk much about it, but something is cooking inside,” Pant said on the performance from the young wicket-keeper batter.
LSG coach Justin Langer was also full of praise for the batter from Rajasthan, saying he runs like Virat Kohli and chases totals like MS Dhoni.
“What I love most about him is that he’s a real athlete. The way he runs between the wickets is elite, like Virat. But the other thing is his game sense. We’ve had some practice games, and the way he talks about the game feels like he’s played 300 matches already. He’s got power, he’s a great athlete, and he’s got grace. As we both know, that’s a pretty good combination.”
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