The schedule of an independent professional wrestler is already jam packed with shows, travel, media interviews, training and everything else in between. Adding anything else onto their plates would be a near-impossible task to manage.

Pro wrestling star Vinny Pacifico is taking the challenge head on. He will be in a new movie called “The Hours that Keep Us,” which features a talented cast from the sports and entertainment industries. The Tommy Dwyer-directed film will feature MMA stars Paige VanZant and Mickey Gall as well as actors Zack Ward and Chelsea Bray.

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Vinny Pacifico flexes for the crowd. (Vinny Pacifico)

Pacifico, who was in “Mr. Reset and the Society of Turnbuckle & Bone” and “The Forsaken Few,” told Fox News Digital he was ecstatic about the cast for the movie.

“That’s going to be absolutely phenomenal,” Pacifico said. “The cast is insane. We got Paige VanZant. We got Mickey Gall, Zack Ward, Chelsea Brea and Tommy Dwyer – he’s the director and he’s going to be in it as well. … That film has the craziest cast you could imagine and it’s really exciting. That’s going to be a really fun movie.

“It’s one of those things where it’s like you can sit back and you’re like, wow, what a phenomenal group of people from all different industries – wrestling, MMA, film and so many different places. We have so many people in this film. So many different fan bases. It’s a really beautiful thing.”

Pacifico said “The Hours that Keep Us” will be an anthology-type film with three different stories intertwining with each other.

“They’re all dark stories and they each have a connection,” he explained. “Bottom line, it’s going to be special, it’s going to be different.”

Meanwhile, Pacifico is still wrestling in between filming.

Paige VanZant stands ringside before the catchweight bout between Nikolay Veretennikov and Austin Vanderford during UFC Fight Night at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Wash., on Feb. 22, 2025. (Steven Bisig/Imagn Images)

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He talked to Fox News Digital about balancing doing everything while keeping his mental health in check.

“It hasn’t been easy to be honest. I really have not had any time for myself or just to sit still because even in between, on the days that I’m not wrestling or doing a movie, it’s answering emails, booking more stuff and doing media. … Mental health, I’ll be honest, I haven’t had time to think much,” he said. “Of course, being in entertainment, we always go through moments where we have anxiety where we get mad at ourselves. We want more, we want this. We’re always critiquing ourselves in wrestling and films, as an actor. We’re always looking at ourselves like ‘What could we do better?’ But I haven’t had much time to really sit and think about stuff. I kinda have just been go, go, go, which I’m grateful for.

“But, it’s not easy because you do have to really, mindfully, take the time to step back and be like, all right, I need a few minutes to just be with my family, be with my friends or just focus on something that’s not work related for just a little. If it consumes you, it’s not always a good thing. For me, it’s like, OK, I did what I needed to do today. When ‘Mr. Reset’ came out, I had nine interviews in a row and then I went to the gym and then I had another interview and I said you know what? OK, I’m gonna do these interviews, I’m gonna go to the gym, I’m gonna everything, and then by 3 p.m., when I’m done with everything, I’m gonna put my phone down and just be with my family and be with my wife and just live. I feel you have to mindfully do those things.”

Pro wrestler Vinny Pacifico steps inside of the ring. (Vinny Pacifico)

Still, Pacifico said he was “grateful” for every opportunity he receives in and out of the ring.

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“The Hours that Keep Us” is set to start filming next month.

Detroit — When lefty Brant Hurter went down on May 23 (lumbar spine inflammation), it opened a gaping hole in the Tigers’ bullpen.

At the time, it felt irreparable. It left the Tigers with two lefties, Tyler Holton and long-reliever Enmanuel De Jesus. Missing was Hurter’s ability to be both a multi-inning bridge and, whenever Holton was unavailable, a leverage situational lefty.

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And yet here we are, a full month later, and we aren’t talking about any kind of gaping hole in the bullpen.

Credit that to the next man up, who in this case has been 6-3, 250-pound lefty Drew Sommers.

In the Tigers’ 5-4, 10-inning, series-sweeping win against the White Sox Sunday, manager AJ Hinch, having used Holton for two innings on Saturday, would certainly have brought in Hurter for the top of the eighth inning.

The Tigers were down 3-1 and the top of the White Sox order was due up, featuring three left-handed hitters. Without hesitation, he summoned Sommers and the lefty struck out Sam Antonacci, right-handed pinch-hitter Randal Grichuk and Colston Montgomery.

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“I think he’s nasty, really tough on lefties,” Hinch said recently. “If he can navigate the counter, the righties, the pinch-hitters, that’s the difference between him being a viable option or just somebody who is filling in.”

He’s become viable. Hitters are 2-for-20 against him since his arrival, with 10 strikeouts. Lefties are 1-for-12. Righties are 1-for-8. He hasn’t allowed an extra-base hit.

Not at all the same guy who showed up last season and seemed utterly overwhelmed by the level.

“If we can learn patience in this world, it would probably help view people and players differently,” Hinch said. “He learned a lot and I think the game slows down a little bit. It’s not as new. The strike-throwing, has been excellent.”

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Sommers, 25, was acquired from the Rays before last season for right-hander Mason Englert. And his first taste of the big leagues was bitter. In three innings, he was tagged for six runs on seven hits and three walks.

He’s not the same guy, on or off the field.

“Just having the experience from last year,” he said. “Getting all the butterflies out and knowing the teammates more. I was very timid when I first walked in the door last year.

“Lots of big names. I didn’t know how to act or conduct myself. But after having spring training in big-league camp and getting to know these guys better, it’s like, OK, they’re just like any other players.

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“It’s the same. So I’m not freaking out.”

He’s pounding the strike zone, that is the primary difference. His strike percentage has increased from 57% to 67%.

“The overall conviction comes with the experience,” Hinch said. “There have been some subtle adjustments. Player development has done a good job of centralizing the adjustment when he starts spraying the ball a little bit. But mostly, he’s a calmer version of himself now.”

He showed some advanced pitch-ability on Sunday. He won a seven-pitch at-bat against Antonacci, showing him sinkers and sliders for six pitches and then busting a 2-2 four-seamer above the zone and getting the chase.

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Against the right-hander Grichuk, who is still in the league because of his ability to mash lefties, Sommers fell behind 2-1. Dangerous count, but Sommers surprised him with a well-disguised, well-located changeup. That’s Sommers’ third pitch, the one he’s developing to neutralize righties and he had Grichuk well out in front.

He put him away with a four-seamer.

Sommers didn’t mess around with Montgomery, beating him with three straight, 95-mph four-seamers.

“Everybody, when they first come up, whether it be butterflies or just the adjustment to the league, it always happens,” catcher Dillon Dingler said of Sommers’ rough debut. “He’s been up here already so he’s made the adjustment. The biggest thing is just being in the zone.

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“Drew is awesome. He’s got great stuff. Talking to some of the (opposing hitters), they say he’s a tough at-bat.”

The White Sox would concur.

“Simple as that,” Sommers shrugged. “I got comfortable and I am able to just do what I do best.”

Yankees at Tigers

First pitch: 6:40, Wednesday, Comerica Park, Detroit

TV/radio: Detroit Sports Net/97.1, 107.9

LHP Carlos Rodon (3-2, 3.50), Yankees: Coming off elbow surgery, this will be just his eighth start. But he allowed three runs or less in the first seven. In the short sample, he’s having trouble finding his slider lane against left-handed hitters. They are 5-for-12 with two doubles and a homer off it. The Tigers have a history of making Rodon work (5.44 ERA in 15 starts) and his 13% walk rate this year should play into that narrative.

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RHP Casey Mize (2-4, 2.58), Tigers: This will be his second start back off the IL (groin). His stuff was good in Houston last Wednesday but his command, especially with his slider, was a tick off. The bulk of the damage (three runs in 4.2 innings) came off mis-located sliders (doubles by Christian Walker and Yordan Alvarez, solo homer by Jeremy Pena). He will face more left-handed hitters against the Yankees, which will bring his splitter more into play.

Chris.McCosky@detroitnews.com

@cmccosky

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Drew Sommers, Tigers’ lefty reliever, fills gaping hole in bullpen

Lionel Messi further separated himself from the rest of soccer history on Monday as he set a record for the most goals all time in the FIFA World Cup.

Messi was charging down the field behind Argentina’s attack. The Austrian defense seemed to be too focused on the ball and lost track of Messi as he filtered in behind them. Messi got the pass and fired the shot past the goalkeeper in the 38th minute and scored.

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Argentina’s Lionel Messi celebrates scoring his team’s first goal against Austria during the World Cup Group J match in Arlington, Texas, on June 22, 2026. (Tony Gutierrez/AP)

He has 17 World Cup goals in his career, passing Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the most all time. He may have had the record sooner. Messi received a penalty kick attempt around the 8th minute of the match. However, shot was wide to the right.

Messi’s goal against Austria put Argentina up 1-0.

The goal comes amid a tough week for Messi and his family. Jorge Messi was set to undergo medical treatment for an undisclosed illness last week. Messi’s family asked for “humanity” from the media.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi watches the ball during the World Cup Group J soccer match against Austria in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, on June 22, 2026. (Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo)

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“Jorge is going through a health situation,” the Messi family said in a statement. “He is currently under medical observation, recovering and progressing favorably within his current condition.”

Messi scored a hat trick against Algeria last week in his first group-stage match of this year’s World Cup. He was seen in tears after his first goal.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi reacts after missing a penalty shot during the World Cup Group J match against Austria in Arlington, Texas, on June 22, 2026. (Julio Cortez/AP)

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“My tears after the first goal? I’ve had some tough days. It wasn’t related to soccer. And those feelings were because of that,” Messi said. “I thank my teammates, the coaching staff and the delegation for helping me.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Lionel Messi has broken the World Cup top scorer record after scoring his 17th goal in the tournament’s history for Argentina in their Group J match against Austria.

The Argentina captain added to his tally this year, having already scored three with his first-ever World Cup hat-trick in the 3-0 victory over Algeria, and the Inter Miami forward continued his fine form against Austria in Dallas.

Messi stroked a tidy finish into the bottom corner in the 39th minute, after teammate Thiago Almada cleverly left a cutback from Facundo Medina.

The goal, for a 1-0 lead, actually came after Messi missed a penalty inside the first 10 minutes to spurn an early opportunity to break the record, before two other misses from decent chances.

Entering the contest in a tie with Germany’s Miroslav Klose (16), Messi moved one clear in just the latest historic mark left on the game.

The record has stood for 12 years since Klose’s last goal at World Cup 2014 in Brazil. Messi has taken 28 games, the most appearances in World Cup history, to reach 17 goals, and also took three more appearances to draw level with Klose’s final tally.

The record is unlikely to last as long, though, with France captain Kylian Mbappe, still just 27 years of age, only three behind Messi on 14 goals, having broken the French all-time top scorer record with a brace against Senegal in this tournament.

While England’s Harry Kane already has 12 World Cup goals, after a double in the 4-2 win over Croatia, which matched Gary Lineker’s England World Cup record and positioned himself to rise yet further up the rankings with Thomas Tuchel’s side starting to produce free-flowing attacking football that could help him replicate his Bayern Munich exploits.

Messi, 38, is attempting to guide Argentina to a fourth crown and back-to-back titles after their triumph in Qatar. Argentina face Jordan in their final group stage match on Saturday 27 June.

Czech Republic’s Linda Noskova poses with the trophy after winning the women’s singles final match against Jessica Pegula of the US at the WTA500 Berlin Tennis Open tournament in Berlin on June 21, 2026. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP)

Czech world number 13 Linda Noskova overcame American world number four Jessica Pegula to claim the Wimbledon warm-up WTA tournament in Berlin 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 on Sunday.

The players took the court almost six hours late after a day of wild weather in the German capital, which forced the tournament to be evacuated for several hours.

The 21-year-old claimed the opening set and maintained control in the match despite losing the second set against the 2024 champion to claim a second career title and a first at WTA 500 level.

READ: Alex Eala stopped by Linda Noskova in Berlin Open semifinals

It’s Linda’s time in Berlin 👏

She comes through a three-set classic against Pegula to claim the title!#BTO26 pic.twitter.com/W475ubqb27

— wta (@WTA) June 21, 2026

Czech Noskova is set to climb into the WTA top 10 for the first time in her career when the new rankings are released next week.

“(This is) very incredible and unforgettable for me,” Noskova said.

“It’s my second title, so like I said, you never forget the first ones, but you always never forget the second ones as well.”

The result was a setback for 32-year-old Pegula, who has never won a Grand Slam, just a week out from the start of Wimbledon.

Pegula eliminated world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals on Saturday to reach the final in Berlin for a second time.

Noskova breezed past Filipina qualifer Alex Eala in the semis and continued her strong form to break Pegula twice and claim the opening set.

Pegula found her feet in the second, breaking her opponent once to take it 6-4, the first time Noskova had dropped a set so far this tournament.

The American looked to have a footing in the match but Noskova broke early in the deciding set to drag the match back into her favour.

Noskova is set to remain in Germany in the coming week to take part in the Bad Homburg tournament, another key Wimbledon preparation event, before travelling to England.

Iran’s national team left a touching message calling for peace, respect and friendship after their World Cup group match against Belgium at Los Angeles Stadium.

The handwritten note was found in the team’s dressing room after a goalless draw in their second Group G game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

In the message released by the Football Federation of Iran (FFIRI), the players thanked the people of Los Angeles for their hospitality and expressed pride in representing their country during a difficult period.

“From the ancient Persia of thousands of years ago to the civilised Iran of today, the spirit of Iran remains alive and steadfast,” the note read.

“We came to Los Angeles with pride, competed with honour, and leave with dignity.”

The team also thanked Iranian supporters for their backing during the tournament and ended the message with a call for unity among nations.

“May peace, respect and friendship prevail among all nations,” the statement added.

The note also paid tribute to the victims of an attack on a girls’ school in Minab, where at least 168 people reportedly lost their lives on the opening day of the conflict involving Iran.

Iran’s participation at the World Cup has been affected by ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States, one of the tournament’s co-hosts alongside Canada and Mexico.

Several members of Iran’s backroom staff were denied entry visas into the United States, while the Iranian Football Federation also raised concerns after its ticket allocation was withdrawn shortly before the competition began.

As a result, Iran moved their tournament base from Arizona in the United States to Tijuana in Mexico. The team has also faced strict travel rules, allowing them to enter the United States only a day before matches and leave immediately after games.

Iran began their campaign with a 2-2 draw against New Zealand before holding Belgium to another draw. They will complete their group-stage matches against Egypt in Seattle on June 27.

Despite the challenges, Iran remain hopeful of progressing to the knockout stage as they prepare for their final Group G encounter.