Rhea Ripley successfully defended the WWE Women’s Championship at Clash in Italy against Jade Cargill, seemingly putting an end to their rivalry for the time being.

But Ripley’s appearances on “Friday Night SmackDown” have been few and far between. She didn’t appear at Night Champions last month and hasn’t been on the show to defend her on-screen partners in Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss as they deal with Cargill, Michin and B-Fab since June 5.

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Rhea Ripley is in action against Jade Cargill during Clash in Italy at Inalpi Arena in Torino di Sangro, Italy, on May 31, 2026. (Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images)

Ripley was seen at a Power Slap event on Friday and she provided an update on her health, revealing she suffered a slight tear in her meniscus.

“I hurt my knee. I got a slight tear in my meniscus, it’s just healing. It’s getting there. It’s getting stronger. I just can’t bend it very well. Kind of need to bend, guys,” she told content creator Nina Drama.

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Rhea Ripley makes her entrance during Clash in Italy at Inalpi Arena in Torino di Sangro, Italy, on May 31, 2026. (Andrew Timms/WWE via Getty Images)

She added that she didn’t have a timeline for her return.

“I tore it in a really weird spot, so it’s kind of a little bit up in the air with just how fast my body recovers. But I’ve been out for probably about a month now. I think it’s been a month and one week,” she said. “It feels better. It still starts to hurt and throb and it gets tired. I can’t get up or bend down really or kind of move side to side while crouching. We’ll see how it goes.”

Ripley is one of the most popular superstars on the WWE roster – men or women.

Rhea Ripley, the WWE Women’s Champion, stands in the ring during Friday Night SmackDown at Olimpic Arena in Barcelona, Spain, on May 29, 2026. (Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images)

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She recaptured the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 42 when she defeated Cargill.

The Ciaron Maher stable presented a strong pair in a Caulfield three-year-old race, with the less fancied runner ultimately emerging victorious.

Maher’s team fielded both the $2.40 favourite Decalogue and the $6.50 outsider Ichnusa in the Sportsbet Feed Handicap (2000m) on Saturday.

Decalogue’s chances were diminished by its tendency to over-race, finishing the event in fifth place. In contrast, Ichnusa charged along the outside to claim a half-length win over Our Chief ($5), with Dirnaseer ($9) securing third position, a further three-quarters of a length behind.

While the Maher camp had anticipated a win from Decalogue, Ichnusa’s performance was not entirely unexpected.

This marked Ichnusa’s second race start, following a debut victory over 1600m at Seymour.

Jack Turnbull, National Assistant Trainer for Ciaron Maher Racing, explained that the stable had been patient with Ichnusa, acting on the counsel of part-owner and breeder Rick Jamieson.

“I thought he did a really good job as he travelled in patches,” Turnbull conveyed.

“The race was run at a farcical tempo. He was on the bit, he was off the bit, and he was running in and out.”

“He’s got such a big action and he’s such a talented horse and does it so easily.”

“His half-sister is Suntora which gets over a trip, and he is bred to get a mile-and-a-half and beyond.”

“Looking at genes, he’s a TT which suggests he’s going to be better for further development, and time.”

“When we were training him in his earlier stages, Rick was very keen for us to be patient and let him grow out, strengthen, and this is reward for that.”

Turnbull stated that the stable would assess Ichnusa’s recovery post-race before determining its next race.

Although Decalogue’s finishing position was disappointing, Turnbull felt the gelding’s effort was fair.

“He’s a bold travelling horse and when Jabez (Johnstone) wanted to come back and get cover, they were running trackwork times and that is not his go,” Turnbull commented.

“It is disappointing the race was run like that and if he was able to get out and run his own race, I’m sure he would have run much better.”

“He’s tricky in that he needs things to go his way, he needs galloping room but needs to take a sit.”

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Not every World Cup goal is a classic. Sometimes a half-hearted shot goes in as a result of little more than goalkeeper error. And on those occasions, goalies may be inclined to find an excuse.

During the 2026 tournament, some members of what is jokingly referred to as the “goalkeepers’ union” have pointed toward the performance of the ball. Joe Hart, a former England goalkeeper and serving BBC pundit, noted after one blunder: “The ball is coming into the keepers a lot faster than it feels when it comes off the foot.”

But are his concerns justified? The Conversation turned to John Eric Goff, who has been studying the physics of World Cup balls for two decades and previously wrote about what to expect from the Trionda ball being used at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

What did your lab tests predict?

Colleagues of mine at the University of Tsukuba in Japan took the World Cup ball, put a little hole in it, stuck it on a rod, attached force sensors and then set it up in a wind tunnel to obtain all kinds of aerodynamic data. They sent that data to me to look at what the trajectory modeling for the ball suggested about how it would perform in comparison to its predecessors.

Central to the performance is the airflow around the ball and how it changes as the speed of the ball increases. For the Jabulani ball used in the 2010 World Cup, for example, this airflow change happened at a speed that was right in the middle of typical free kicks and corner kicks. That caused problems for goalkeepers, as it moved in the air unpredictably as a result.

Among the recent World Cup balls we tested, Trionda has the lowest critical speed at which that airflow change takes place. That led us to predict free kicks and corner kicks with fairly consistent, stable flight.

But we also found that Trionda’s drag coefficient was slightly larger than that of its predecessors, which implied a slightly rougher surface. So there was a possible trade-off; it might fall a couple of meters short.

Has the real pitch experience followed those predictions?

It has depended a little on conditions. Take the Mexico vs. England game at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, which took place at high elevation.

That meant the ball had less air drag on it, so it could actually go farther than it would when kicked with the same launch speed in lower-altitude conditions. It also meant that because the sideways, or Magnus forces, are proportional to air density, it would curve less.

During the England vs. Mexico game, what I noticed, especially early on, was many of England’s kicks tended to go a little long. They would kick the ball down the pitch in those first 20 minutes and it would be just out of reach of teammates.

The sense I got was they weren’t quite adjusting for the higher elevation and lower air density.

Some have questioned the flight. Do they have a point?

I have heard the complaints by former England goalkeeper Joe Hart about the ball. But I haven’t heard a whole lot of detail about the substance of those complaints.

In other words, I’ve heard about the ball not being their favorite, but not why. The scientist in me really wants to interview a goalkeeper and find out: “Do you think it’s moving in erratic ways? Or is it something to do with the color scheme that’s flummoxing you on the pitch?”

I think goalkeepers are always going to complain about a new ball. But the Nike Flight, which was used in the 2024-25 English Premier League season, has an aerodynamic profile most similar to that of the current World Cup ball. So players who used that ball might already be somewhat familiar with the motion of Trionda.

As far as I can tell, the ball appears to be flying in ways that not only we predicted but that don’t look completely out of touch with what players would have seen with other balls.

As the World Cup has progressed, I’ve been watching the ball come in toward the goalkeepers, and it could be that the reds, blues and greens twirling in front of the goalkeepers’ eyes are confusing them.

There’s been talk of more long-range goals. Is the ball playing a role?

I have read there are more goals coming from farther out than in previous World Cups. But I don’t know if I could attribute it specifically to the ball.

It’s possible, of course. But I would really have to see what the actual number is and see what the percentage increase has been, because, for a sport like soccer where you only get two or three goals in a match, the sample size is so small.

It would certainly be a very interesting research question to pursue. But I don’t think the ball alone can be credited for these longer-range goals.

Overall, how has this ball performed?

I think the ball has been fine. It is an attractive ball, with the colors of the original version representing the three host countries – all of whom are now out of the tournament, so it didn’t bring them much luck, unfortunately.

Boxing fans are always keen for the heavyweight elite to fight one another, but in the eyes of two-time divisional ruler Hasim Rahman, two former champions’ willingness to fight proved consequential to both. 

Rahman famously dethroned Lennox Lewis to claim the WBC, IBF and lineal title in a shock knockout win back in 2001, but he was stopped himself in their rematch just seven months on, finding himself on the wrong side of one of boxing’s most devastating KO’s.

Although, he returned to the throne five years later, elevated to world champion after winning the vacant WBC interim strap against Monte Barrett, later losing the full title to Oleg Maskaev.

Speaking with Sean Zittel, Rahman highlighted the decline of a fellow two-time heavyweight world champion, believing that Tyson Fury’s iconic trilogy with Deontay Wilder had a severe impact on the careers of both combatants.

“Absolutely, [Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury ruined each other]. The amount of shots that they both gave and received was so damaging to their career. I think that they beat their careers out of each other, in my opinion. 

“I don’t think that either one of them would be the same and I think, had they never fought each other, but of them would still be reigning, and at a much higher level, right now.”

Fury and Wilder met on three occasions between 2018 and 2021, with the first bout ending in a draw while Fury claimed two stoppage wins in the fights that followed, with a total of nine knockdowns dished out between the duo.

Wilder has suffered two further defeats to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang since the trilogy, but did claim a victory over Derek Chisora in April, while Fury lost twice to Oleksandr Usyk, perhaps adding credence to Rahman’s claim.

Fury will return to action in less than two weeks as he fights for the second time this year in an unconventional low-profile scrap with Mariusz Wach at the Max Muaythai Stadium in Pattaya, Thailand.

The WNBA never fails to produce drama.

In the latest installment, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton was ejected from the New York Liberty’s 93-91 loss to the Toronto Tempo on Sunday afternoon for hitting Marina Mabrey with Jonquel Jones‘ shoe. Yes, you read that correctly. After the defeat, Liberty coach Chris DeMarco let loose on the officials for an “atrocious” and “pathetic” performance down the stretch.

The Liberty, who were on the second day of a back-to-back and entered Sunday’s contest having lost six of their last eight games, fell behind by as many as 20 late in the third quarter, but stormed back in the fourth. With less than two minutes to play, they had cut the deficit down to one, and were about to get the ball back after Laura Juskaite was called for a charge. 

Before play could resume, however, a shoe came flying across the court and hit Mabrey in the back. An incensed Mabrey picked it up and was about to raise hell before she was held back by Liberty players and the officials, who then went to the monitor to review the situation. No camera angle caught the entire incident, but Laney-Hamilton, who was on the bench at the time, had gone on to the court to pick up Jones’ shoe, which had come off on the prior possession, and tossed it back toward Jones. Instead of getting to her teammate, it hit Mabrey. 

Upon review, the officials gave Laney-Hamilton a technical for “throwing a projectile onto the floor.” That was her second technical of the game, so she was ejected. It’s worth noting that Laney-Hamilton was also called for a Flagrant 1 after hitting Mabrey in the face in the second quarter and her first technical was the result of another dust-up between her and Mabrey. 

“I would never intentionally try to hit someone with a shoe, especially while they’re not looking. Teammate was without a shoe, so I did my best to try and get it to her. Unfortunately, it did hit someone,” Laney-Hamilton said after the game. “I know just by the way that things were going throughout the game that it can look a certain way but that’s just not something that I would personally do… especially in a moment like that where game is on the line.”

Mabrey stepped to the line and made the techincal free throw to put the Tempo back up by two, and while the Liberty did briefly tie the game with 1:30 to play, they went scoreless the rest of the way. Breanna Stewart missed a driving runner with less than 10 seconds to play that could have forced overtime. 

DeMarco calls officials’ performance ‘atrocious’ and ‘pathetic’ 

After a lackluster 2025, which ended with a first-round exit, the Liberty made a number of changes, including firing championship-winning coach Sandy Brondello and replacing her with Chris DeMarco — a long-time Golden State Warriors assistant who had no previous WNBA experience. 

DeMarco’s first season in charge has been a roller coaster, and his frustration was evident Sunday after the team’s third consecutive defeat, and seventh in their last nine games. The Liberty entered the season as title favorites, but just after the midway point, they sit in seventh at 13-11. 

“I’ve never seen anything like [Laney-Hamilton’s ejection],” DeMarco said. “I’ve never seen anything like that. We had all the momentum in the world. Shoe hit somebody, ejected, free throws. I’ve also never seen a ref make such an atrocious call when he’s on the other side of the floor. The ball is clearly off the defender and comes over and overturns and gives the ball back to the Tempo at the end of the game.

“I’ve never seen one of the best players to ever play in this league attack the rim and get fouled and absolutely no call, and we’re just gonna play,” DeMarco continued. “Atrocious, pathetic. It was pathetic.”

Asked a follow-up about the ejection, DeMarco again criticized the officials. 

“She’s trying to get the shoe back to JJ. It hit somebody. I think we’re just making stuff up. I have no idea,” DeMarco said. “You’re asking the wrong person. I just know it was just an atrocious, atrocious end of that game from the officials.” 

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Jannik Sinner retains his crown. The 24-year-old Italian won the Wimbledon title for the second consecutive year after defeating Germany’s Alexander Zverev in four sets. It is Sinner’s fifth Grand Slam title, his first of the year, further strengthening his position as world No. 1.

Reece James has expressed his relief and satisfaction at recovering from injury just in time for England’s crucial World Cup semi-final clash against holders Argentina.

The Chelsea captain made a timely return to action by featuring as a second-half substitute in the Three Lions’ 2-1 quarter-final victory over Norway after extra time on Saturday.

James had been sidelined for three matches due to a hamstring problem sustained during the second group stage fixture against Ghana. His re-entry into the squad saw him initially deployed in central midfield before shifting to his more familiar right-back position, as two goals from Jude Bellingham secured England’s progression.

Speaking to Lions Den, James reflected on his comeback: “It’s good to be back out there with the boys. Picking up an injury at a tournament is always a race against the clock. I applied myself and happy to be back out there.”

Despite not consistently delivering their peak performance throughout the tournament, the England squad has consistently found a way to overcome each challenge, though a formidable test now awaits them.

The historic rivalry between England and Argentina adds another layer of intensity to the semi-final, but James believes the team is equipped to handle the pressure.

“It comes with experience. The higher stakes the game is, the more pressure,” he explained. “We’ve been doing it for years, the fundamentals are the same, but the prize is slightly different.

“We’re in a bubble, trying to complete our mission. It’s hard to see the outside. We’re happy we’re making everyone at home proud. This is what dreams are made of. Everyone as a little boy dreamt of playing and winning a World Cup. We’re against one of the best nations in the semi-final.”

England are currently enjoying a golden era of tournament football, having reached two World Cup semi-finals in their last three attempts, alongside consecutive European Championship finals. James attributes this success to the strength of the domestic game.

“I think it starts with the Premier League,” he added. “The best league in the world for me and I’m sure many fans. It’s the highest level. A lot of the good quality players are English. It shows how much English football has come on in recent years.

‘We’re (knocking at) the door, in and around it, at the latter stages of tournaments when it is crunch time.”

Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei (AP Photo)

Iran have decided to continue their faith in head coach Amir Ghalenoei after an inspiring FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, extending his contract until the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.The Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) confirmed that Ghalenoei will remain in charge after reviewing his plans for the continental tournament, according to a report by Reuters.“Mr Ghalenoei will remain the head coach of the national team,” Tehran Times quoted Iran Football Federation president Mehdi Taj as saying. “We have already received his plans for the AFC Asian Cup.”Taj also confirmed that preparations for the next FIFA international window would begin soon, with further developments planned across Iran’s national teams.The decision comes after Ghalenoei guided Iran through a challenging but memorable World Cup campaign in the United States, where Team Melli exited at the group stage despite remaining unbeaten.

Three draws, no knockout spot for Team Melli

Iran were placed in Group G and produced a resilient performance against some of the world’s best teams, recording three consecutive draws. However, their three-point tally was not enough to secure one of the eight available places for the best third-placed teams.Iran began their campaign with a 2-2 draw against New Zealand before holding Belgium to a goalless stalemate. Their final group match ended in a 1-1 draw against Egypt, leaving them third in the standings and bringing their World Cup journey to an end.The campaign was particularly demanding away from the pitch. Due to visa-related complications, Iran based their training camp in Tijuana, Mexico, rather than the United States. The squad had to make repeated cross-border journeys for matches in Los Angeles and Seattle.The players also carried the emotional weight of representing a country dealing with conflict at home, making their unbeaten run even more significant.

Experienced Ghalenoei tasked with Asian Cup challenge

The 62-year-old Ghalenoei is one of Iran’s most experienced coaches and is currently serving his second spell with the national team. He first led Team Melli between 2006 and 2007, taking Iran to the quarter-finals of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup.After returning as head coach in 2023, he guided Iran to the semi-finals of the 2023 Asian Cup, further strengthening his credentials.Iran, three-time Asian champions whose last continental title came in 1978, will now turn their attention towards the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. They have been drawn in Group C alongside Syria, Kyrgyzstan and China.The tournament will begin on January 7, with the final scheduled to take place in Riyadh on February 5.

Stefon Diggs is still looking for his next NFL team after one season with the New England Patriots, which ended in a Super Bowl LX defeat.

With NFL training camps across the country set to kick off at the end of the month, Diggs, who will be entering his 12th season, made quite the statement during a recent YouTube video on his channel.

Diggs stated that he is the best No. 2 receiver in the league, and he explained why.

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New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs (8) walks to the podium to speak to the media after a minicamp held in the WIN Field House at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on June 10, 2025. (Eric Canha/Imagn Images)

“Everybody got a 1,,” he said. “Opportunities aside, people might say there’s seven real 1s. In my opinion, I can compete with anybody, but take those as your 1s. You can’t name a No. 2 better than me. There’s not a No. 2 on a team. Let’s presumably give people the credit and just say, ‘OK, you want to take the No. 1 spot away.’ Name your No. 2 receiver right now. Tell me how much he makes. My last question is: Is he better than me?”

Diggs put up 1,013 yards in his 11th season, his first and only with the Patriots, on 85 receptions (102 targets) with four touchdowns from breakout star quarterback Drake Maye . It marked Diggs’ seventh 1,000-yard season in the NFL, which have come in seven of the last eight seasons.

ODELL BECKHAM TOLD GIANTS COACH HE’S READY TO ‘GO OUT ON MY SWORD’ TO EARN ROSTER SPOT

The 32-year-old did note being a No. 2 option, which means he could be willing to take a pay cut to join a squad that he could help get back to the playoffs and, as ever player hopes, the Super Bowl. But no team has pulled the trigger just yet.

Could Diggs’ off-the-field issues be a factor? He faced some serious allegations in December after being charged with felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault in a dispute with his private chef.

New England Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs speaks during his introductory press conference on March 28, 2025. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

However, Diggs was found not guilty by a jury, with the NFL closing its review on the matter, stating there was insufficient evidence to warrant a suspension for violating its personal conduct policy. Diggs’ attorney said that “professional athletes have a target on their back” following the non-guilty verdict.

“We have taken these allegations seriously from Day One and that’s exactly why we were eager for the facts to come to light through the legal process,” Mitch Schuster of Meister, Seelig & Schuster, the firm that represented Diggs, said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital in May.

The Patriots released Diggs in March, but he has been staying in shape and looking for the next opportunity since the league cleared him last month.

New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs plays against the Seattle Seahawks during Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Feb. 8, 2026. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

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Teams to watch could be the Los Angeles Chargers, New York Giants, Washington Commanders, Kansas City Chiefs, or even a Buffalo Bills reunion with Josh Allen, who built such a rapport with him to earn four straight Pro Bowls from 2020-23.

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Man United have signed a handful of youngsters with high potential from abroad over the last two years.

Manchester United are set to announce the signing of Colombian teenager Cristian Orozco this week.

United reached an agreement with Fortaleza CEIF to sign Orozco nine months ago, but the deal outlined that he would join in the summer transfer window, as he needed to be 18 to complete the move.

Orozco is not an immediate signing for the first team. However, United have paid around $1million (£750k) because they believe he possesses the potential to eventually reach the first team.

Orozco will join up with the Under-21s to be assessed by United coaches. He arrived in Manchester over a week ago to settle into his new surroundings ahead of his transfer being rubber-stamped on Monday.

United’s deal for the midfielder is the latest in a string of transfers for talented young players with high potential, a strategy that Ineos rolled out after taking control of the club’s football operations.

Sekou Kone was signed from Mali, Diego Leon was scouted from Paraguay, while Enzo Kana-Biyik arrived from the renowned academy of French club Le Havre AC last summer.

United have always signed young players to add to their academy, but the profile of targets has evolved, with the club looking further afield due to Brexit rules which prevent them from signing players under the age of 18 from Europe.

United must wait until a player from Europe turns 18 before acting on their interest, as was the case with Kana-Biyik. However, players are usually tied down and more difficult to sign by that stage of their career.

That has led United to explore markets they were otherwise not active in, and the transfers are essentially low risk and potentially high reward.

The best-case scenario is that the young players reach the first team, and the worst-case scenario is often that they are sold for profit if they fail to do so.

Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) have been a huge factor and some Premier League clubs are buying young players with the intention of making a profit on their sale in a few years’ time.

United sources have stressed that each of the club’s deals for young players has been due to those talents having been identified as having first-team potential, but the reality is that making a breakthrough can be difficult.

Kone and Leon have not made their first-team debuts for United. Ruben Amorim named Kone in three Premier League matchday squads in 2024/25 when injuries reduced options, but he was not given any minutes.

The midfielder was sent on loan to Ineos-owned FC Lausanne-Sport in January and was dealt a blow shortly after joining as he was not included in their UEFA Conference League squad for the second half of the campaign.

Kone has been sent back to Lausanne to spend pre-season with the Swiss club this summer. Another loan move to Lausanne has not been confirmed yet, but it’s highly likely he will re-sign on a season-long deal.

Although Leon was unveiled alongside Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko last summer, he played exclusively in academy fixtures last season.

Leon was included in squads against Manchester City, Brentford and Sunderland between September and October, however, he then did not make the bench for a first-team game for the remainder of the campaign.

There have been glimmers of potential from Leon during academy matches, but he is still raw and does not look ready for the first team, meaning a loan would be the best option for the defender.

United should be guaranteed to make a profit on Kone down the line, given he was signed for around £1m, but the deal to sign Leon from Paraguayan club Cerro Porteno was worth more (£3.3m fee, rising to £7m with add-ons).

It’s going to be fascinating to see how the next few years pan out for both players, who certainly have time on their side. Fans should also keep an eye on Orozco’s development, as he is the latest signing of that mould.