Rajasthan Royals Squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel(w), Riyan Parag(c), Ravi Singh, Donovan Ferreira, Shubham Dubey, Jofra Archer, Adam Milne, Brijesh Sharma, Yash Raj Punja, Dasun Shanaka, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Ravi Bishnoi, Sushant Mishra, Aman Rao Perala, Ravindra Jadeja, Sandeep Sharma, Shimron Hetmyer, Tushar Deshpande, Nandre Burger, Kuldeep Sen, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Kwena Maphaka, Vignesh Puthur

Lucknow Super Giants Squad: Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Mukul Choudhary, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mohammed Shami, Mayank Yadav, Akash Maharaj Singh, Prince Yadav, Josh Inglis, Manimaran Siddharth, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Himmat Singh, Ayush Badoni, Avesh Khan, George Linde, Anrich Nortje, Matthew Breetzke, Mohsin Khan, Arjun Tendulkar, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Arshin Kulkarni, Naman Tiwari.

The adage, “never meet your heroes,” has been a proverb used to keep people from having high expectations of those they look up to or idolize.

For pro wrestling podcaster Dwayne Swayze, the phrase couldn’t have been more wrong.

Swayze teamed up with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star MVP to create the “Marking out with MVP and Dwayne Swayze” podcast, focused on providing an outlet for wrestling fans to listen to in-depth interviews with their favorite stars from all wrestling backgrounds.

AEW STAR MVP BRINGING PRO WRESTLING EXPERTISE AND AUTHENTICITY TO BZZR

MVP, left, and Dwayne Swayze’s podcast partnered with BZZR. (Getty Images/Provided to Fox News Digital)

As the podcast partners with BZZR, Swayze shared with Fox News Digital the story about how he got involved with MVP in the first place. He said he watched MVP at WrestleMania 25 in a Money in the Bank Ladder Match and days later the pro wrestler was in his studio trying to record his own music for his entrance theme.

“All of a sudden, six months after being at WrestleMania 25, my favorite wrestler walks directly in. I couldn’t believe it. And nobody knew how big of a wrestling fan I was but I refused to go to the studio on Mondays or Fridays for ‘Raw’ and, there might’ve even been a Thursday back then, for ‘SmackDown.’ I’m not working at all during those times,” he recalled. “So, he walks in, so we were able to forge a relationship and the very first song he ever released, I was just in the studio sitting in the back watching my favorite wrestler and he’s rapping. He’d ask for some pointers every now and then. And I don’t know him enough to say anything because I’m like, ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe you’re here.’ And he finishes on this song – two verses. And he looks over at me and says, ‘Hey, you, you wanna do the other verse?’ And I’m like, ‘Of course, of course I do.’

“And ever since then, we’d be in the studio, and we’re chatting, I would always ask a wrestling-related question, being the huge fan that I am. Something along the lines of, ‘OK, at the 2008 Royal Rumble, you’re wrestling Ric Flair, he’s on his retirement tour, you, Mr. Kennedy. He’s eventually going to face Shawn Michaels and that is going to be the end of his career and when you guys are at Madison Square Garden, it was reported that he was having confidence issues. What were you saying to him in the ring right before the bell rang?’ And he’d tell me and this is what would be going on for 15 years. And in October 2024, I asked him a question and his response to me was, ‘This should be a show.’ … But that’s how we got here.”

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

MVP, Dwayne Swayze and Kayla Becker have all partnered with the sports-focused social media platform BZZR. (BZZR)

Swayze said BZZR offers sports fans a break from the regular noise they would see on the major social media platforms, adding that BZZR cuts out the noise and keeps it sports focused.

“BZZR launched with, I think, 10,000 videos, 500 verified creators – Josh Pate (college football), Brett Kollmann (NFL), of course, Kayla Becker is like hosting everything, Kenny Beecham and the joy of basketball with the NBA,” he said. “Not only those creators, there’s also podcasst. And out of the 500-plus creators that exist, you get sports across the landscape with just top-quality sports across the landscape.

“No rage bait, you’re not going to be finding those little things. If you compare to Twitter/X, the people that you follow on your timeline, that’s not all you see. You end up seeing some things you didn’t necessarily sign up for and, with BZZR, you’re only going to see sports.”

Of course, pro wrestling will be the theme of “Marking Out.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

WWE and AEW own the mainstream conversation when it comes to pro wrestling – at least in North America, if not the world.

Swayze talked to Fox News Digital about some of the good things he’s been seeing with both companies.

“Some of the good things that I’m seeing … Well, outside my ‘Tribal Chief’ (Roman Reigns), you must acknowledge him, there’s a big youth movement of course,” he said. “In WWE, I’m loving to see Bron Breakker, Je’Von Evans, Sol Ruca. AEW, ‘where the best wrestle,’ of course, where MVP’s at right now. I really like Kyle Fletcher, Megan Bayne is awesome, Kevin Knight. I’m loving to see the changes of how things were in the past and how it is now.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“These guys have so much more pressure on them than the stars from yesterday. I kinda compare it to Michael Jordan and LeBron James. They have to live in the social media era and us as fans, the expectation is to see our star – we see them on television, we see them on their socials, a dirt sheet might pull them up, there’s podcasts. There’s just so much, but they’re doing their thing. They’re still performing. They’re still entertaining us. They’re putting themselves out there. As a fan, I definitely appreciate it.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers open the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Cleveland enter as underdogs, partly because New York have home-court advantage and arrive with more rest after sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers.

Advertisement

Still, that may not scare the Cavaliers. They were not favourites against the top-seeded Detroit Pistons either, but still advanced in seven games.

Cleveland Cavaliers reach rare post-LeBron Eastern Conference Finals against the NY Knicks

Accoridng to Courtside Buzza, this Tuesday marks Cleveland’s first Eastern Conference Finals appearance without LeBron James on the roster since 1992, even with ‘King James’ having left the Cavs eight years ago.

The last team to do it was the 1992 squad, led by Brad Daugherty, Mark Price and Larry Nance, which lost to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in the conference finals.

Advertisement

This version is built around Donovan Mitchell and a group that has already handled pressure, as they showed in Game 7 against Detroit, which they won 125-94 on the road.

Mitchell had 26 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in that win, while Jarrett Allen, Sam Merrill and Evan Mobley also scored at least 20.

That balance could give the Cavaliers a real platform, even if the matchup with New York is expected to be difficult.

For Cleveland, this series is about more than reaching the NBA Finals. It is also a chance to create a defining postseason chapter without LeBron.

Read more:

The World Cup final will feature a star-studded halftime show headlined by Madonna, Shakira and boy-band BTS.

FIFA has announced that, for the first time, the final at the Metlife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19 will include a Super Bowl-style concert.

Soccer’s governing body said the show would support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which is raising $100 million to help children access education and soccer.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said it would bring together “music and football on the biggest stage in sport for a very special cause.” 
“Every child should have the opportunity to dream, and together we can help make that possible,” he posted on Instagram.

The show will be curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin.

The Super Bowl is famed for its halftime show, attracting the world’s biggest stars for spectacular performances. This year featured Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny.

Previous headliners included Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Prince, Bruce Springsteen and Rhianna.

But halftime shows are not commonplace in soccer, with events such as the Champions League final featuring a pre-match concert. On May 30, the Killers will headline European club soccer’s biggest game between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal in Budapest.

It is not known how long the World Cup halftime show will last, but the interval in soccer is not supposed to go beyond 15 minutes.

FIFA describes it as “a singular moment at the intersection of sport, culture and purpose, broadcast live around the world.” 
The World Cup is co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and runs through June and July.

Well then! It’s been a busy 24 hours hasn’t it.

The news that Pep Guardiola will depart in the summer has dominated the headlines and there’s plenty to digest, we’ll flag plenty of it here as we go along but there is a game on this evening though, and a vital one with City needing a win at Bournemouth to take the title race to the final weekend of the season.

Arsenal’s narrow 1-0 victory over Burnley on Monday night means the Gunners will be champions for the first time since 2004 if City fail to win on the south coast.

If the Blues can claim the three points they will host Aston Villa on the final day of the season knowing a victory, coupled with Arsenal failing to beat Crystal Palace, will see Guardiola bow out with a Premier League title and a domestic treble.

Bring it on

Jannik Sinner is two victories away from becoming the first home male player to win the Italian Open in half a century. And it doesn’t seem like anybody can stop him – either in Rome or at the French Open that starts in 10 days.

The top-ranked Sinner landed shots on the lines repeatedly in a 6-2, 6-4 triumph over No. 14 Andrey Rublev to reach the semifinals Thursday and move past Novak Djokovic with a record 32nd consecutive victory in Masters 1000 events – the biggest tournaments outside the Grand Slams.

“I don’t play for records. I play just for my own story. And obviously at the same time it means a lot to me,” Sinner said.

The last Italian man to raise the singles trophy on the red clay of the Foro Italico was Adriano Panatta in 1976. Panatta will present the title to this year’s champion on Sunday, with Italian President Sergio Mattarella also slated to attend the final.

“It’s a special tournament for me,” Sinner said.

Sinner’s semifinal opponent will be 2023 Rome champion Daniil Medvedev, who came back to beat Spanish qualifier Martin Landaluce 1-6, 6-4, 7-5.

The other semifinal will feature Casper Ruud of Norway against Luciano Darderi, an Argentine-born Italian.

Huge partisan support: 
With nearly everyone inside the 10,500-seat Campo Centrale cheering for Sinner, many supporters wore hats and T-shirts in orange – his theme color.

One group of fans held up a sign that said, “Sinner, Facce Sogna” – “Sinner, Make us dream.” 
Sinner lost last year’s final in Rome to Carlos Alcaraz, who is now sidelined due to a right wrist injury, while Jasmine Paolini in 2025 became the first Italian woman to raise the trophy in 40 years.

Sinner broke serve in the opening game for a third straight match and never lost control against Rublev, who was once ranked as high as No. 5. 

Rublev noticed there were “many points where he played really well or close to the line or in a line. But he’s No. 1 and it’s normal. You need to force him to miss and it takes a lot of focus to be able to play at that level.” 
Sinner had only one brief lapse when Rublev broke him late in the second set.

“It was a bit breezy, a bit windy, so it was very tough conditions,” Sinner said. “I felt we both didn’t play at our best today.” 
Sinner said he felt fatigued toward the end.

“I’m going to be all right. It’s normal that one day in the tournament you are slightly tired,” he said. “It has been very long days for me.” 
Unbeaten since October Sinner hasn’t been beaten in a Masters event since he retired with cramps in extreme heat against Tallon Griekspoor in Shanghai in October.

Djokovic won 31 straight Masters matches in 2011.

Including all tournaments, Sinner’s winning streak reached 27 matches. He was last beaten by Jakub Mensik in the Qatar Open quarterfinals on Feb. 19 – and he hasn’t even dropped a set since his opening match of his previous tournament, the Madrid Open.

Sinner is also aiming to become the second man after Djokovic to triumph at all nine Masters events. Djokovic has won each event at least twice.

The Italian Open is the only Masters event that Sinner hasn’t won.

Coco Gauff back in final: 
In the women’s tournament, Coco Gauff beat 36-year-old Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-3 to reach the final for a second straight year.

Gauff will face two-time Rome champion Elina Svitolina in the final after the Ukrainian beat three-time champion Iga Swiatek 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.

Gauff saved a match point in a three-set victory over Iva Jovic in the fourth round and then came back from a set down to defeat Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals.

Against Cirstea, Gauff got 78% of her first serves in and had only one double fault.

“I’m just happy to be through in straight sets today,” Gauff said. “It’s been a marathon week.” 
Gauff was beaten by Paolini in the 2025 Rome final, then went on to win the French Open.

Svitolina won Rome in 2017 and 2018.

During the 2021 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings selected an outside linebacker named Janarius Robinson, who never really took off in the Twin Cities. Five years later, he’s getting a look from the Super Bowl runner-ups.

Robinson could turn a June audition into a roster battle if New England wants more depth.

The veteran EDGE will work out for the Patriots this week, and a summer roster spot could be the result.

Robinson’s NFL Path Has Included Many Stops

Do you remember Robinson from the Mike Zimmer era?

NE Auditions Robinson

Robinson could make it five NFL teams in five years. NBC Sports‘ Josh Alper wrote Tuesday morning, “The Patriots will be checking out a potential addition to their defense on Tuesday. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that defensive end Janarius Robinson will be working out for the team.”

“Robinson spent last season with the Chiefs, but he did not appear in any games after fracturing his foot in the offseason. Robinson was a Vikings fourth-round pick in 2021 and moved on to the Eagles in 2022, but spent most of both seasons on injured reserve.”

Through three months of open free agency, Robinson has no known nibbles from EDGE-needy teams. That could change as early as this week.

The Patriots’ EDGEs

Do the Patriots need more pass-rush help? From a role player and fringe roster bubble commodity like Robinson — probably not. Still, here’s the embattled Mike Vrabel’s OLB group in mid-May:

• Harold Landry III
• Dre’Mont Jones
• Gaba Jacas
• Namdi Obiazor
• Bradyn Swinson
• Quintayvious Hutchins
• Jesse Luketa
• Xavier Holmes

If signed, Robinson would likely slide onto the depth chart behind Jacas, a 2nd-Round rookie, and above Obiazor, a 6th-Round rookie.

Robinson’s Career to Date

Robinson initially arrived in Minnesota via the 2020 Stefon Diggs trade with the Buffalo Bills. After sending Diggs to Buffalo, the Vikings leveraged the returned draft capital to select several players, including Justin Jefferson, Camryn Bynum, Zach Davidson, Kenny Willekes, and Robinson.

Drafted by former general manager Rick Spielman in the 4th Round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Robinson’s tenure with the Vikings was short-lived and unproductive. His rookie season in 2021 was cut short by a season-ending injury, and he failed to make the 53-man roster in 2022, instead being relegated to the practice squad. During that 2022 season, Patrick Jones and D.J. Wonnum served as the primary backup EDGE rushers behind starters Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith.

The Philadelphia Eagles acquired Robinson in September 2022, signing him after defensive end Derek Barnett tore his ACL and was placed on injured reserve. Notably, Barnett himself had a prior connection to Robinson’s former team, having joined the Vikings in 2016 as part of the Sam Bradford trade.

Robinson never played in a regular season game for Minnesota before the Eagles acquired him.

Since entering the league, Robinson has appeared in 16 career games, making 3 starts. His career totals include 13 tackles, 4 quarterback hits, and 1.5 sacks. He has logged 187 defensive snaps and an additional 77 on special teams. His 2024 season was his most active as a professional, despite receiving a stinky 42.6 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus.

His full work history:

• Minnesota Vikings (2021–2022)
• Philadelphia Eagles (2022)
• Las Vegas Raiders (2023–2024)
• Kansas City Chiefs (2025)

ArrowheadAddict‘s Matt Conner on Robinson, “Before the 2025 draft, Robinson sounded excited to join the Chiefs and said he was a ‘perfect fit’ for Kansas City. However, the Chiefs spent two early picks on the defensive front — a second-round choice on Omarr-Norman Lott and a third-round pick on Ashton Gillotte — and Robinson was buried on the depth chart early.”

“From there, a fractured foot landed him on injured reserve before the regular season even began. Robinson will now hope to prove he’s healthy as a journeyman defensive end for a team fresh off of a Super Bowl appearance.”

The Big-Name EDGEs Left in Free Agency

Suppose the Robinson tryout does not net a contract. The Patriots — and other teams that need EDGE rushers — still have an accredited list of alternatives, including these men:

• Denico Autry
• Derek Barnett
• Joey Bosa
• Jadeveon Clowney
• Marcus Davenport
• A.J. Epenesa
• Leonard Floyd
• Cameron Jordan
• Von Miller
• Haason Reddick
• Kyle Van Noy

The Vikings, too, may need an OLB3 behind Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner, depending on the summer performances from Bo Richter, Tyler Batty, and rookie Jake Golday (an inside linebacker).

Robinson turned 28 two weeks ago. New England’s defense ranked 11th in the last year per EPA/Play, a propelling force for their Super Bowl appearance.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker