Many wrestling stars, including Rhea Ripley, Matt Riddle, and Matt Cardona, reacted to Dominik Mysterio firing massive shots at CM Punk after their match at a WWE Live Event in Madison Square Garden on December 26, 2023.
After almost a decade, Punk finally made his in-ring return in the promotion. The Second City Saint locked horns with Dirty Dom in one of the year’s biggest shows. The duo showed amazing skills inside the ring and the match ended in Punk’s favor after he hit The GTS.
Following the show, Dominik Mysterio took to Instagram to post a couple of photos from his match at The Garden and fired massive shots at CM Punk in the post’s caption. The Judgment Day star hailed himself as The Best in the World, which is Punk’s tagline.
Many current and former WWE stars liked Dominik’s post, including Matt Riddle, Otis, Carmelo Hayes, Grayson Waller, Cathy Kelley, Dakota Kai, and Finn Balor, among others.
You can check out a screenshot of their likes below:
More stars including Bronson Reed and Matt Cardona liked Dominik Mysterio’s Instagram post. Meanwhile, Rhea Ripley reposted his tweet.
Screenshot of some more likes from stars and Rhea Ripley’s repost
CM Punk and Dominik Mysterio will compete again at WWE Live Event
The WWE Universe is eagerly waiting to witness CM Punk in action on television. However, it seems like they will have to wait a bit longer as his next match will take place at a live event once again.
After putting on a great show at Madison Square Garden on December 26, Punk and Dominik Mysterio are again set to lock horns during the Live Holiday Tour on December 30, 2023.
Following The Second City Saint’s amazing display against Dirty Dom at The Garden, some fans believe CM Punk can go all the way to win the World Heavyweight Championship against Seth Rollins. It remains to be seen what the Stamford-based promotion has in store for him.
Did you enjoy The Straight Edge Superstar’s first match since his WWE return? Let us know in the comments section below.
The World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler doesn’t even make the cut
Despite only playing three tournaments this year, Tiger Woods still managed to reign supreme off the fairways.
The 15-time major winner is the most popular figure in golf and his presence is still felt on social media even with his limited appearances.
Tiger Woods is reportedly the most-Googled golfer of 2023, despite his limited playing time
The 47-year-old’s 2023 season was once again hampered by injury as he was forced to withdraw from the Masters following the third round with reaggravated plantar fasciitis in April and underwent ankle surgery two weeks later.
Before that he teed it up at the Genesis Open in February and only made his competitive return from surgery at the Hero World Challenge at the end of November before playing the parent-child team event, the PNC Championship, with son Charlie in December.
But Woods seemingly didn’t need to be topping the leaderboards to continue to cement his place as a fan favorite as he came out as the most popular golfer of 2023, according to Vegas Insider.
The 15-time major winner beat out golf glamor girl and influencer Paige Spiranac for the crownScottie Scheffler didn’t make the top three in any state, despite being World No. 1
According to the site’s data, Woods led golf’s Google searches in 42 out of 50 states in the United States.
Even off the fairways, Woods is a leading figure in the game, joining the PGA Tour’s policy board as a player director earlier this year amid the turbulent negotiations with LIV Golf.
He also has the tendency to easily set the internet alight, most recently with rumors of a split from Nike and his viral ‘Big Dog’ meme.
But before his first round of the PNC Championship, Woods was filmed greeting his son Charlie’s caddie with a firm handshake as he called him ‘Big Dog’, which sent fans on social media into meltdown with hilarious responses as to what the exchange reminded them of.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen then used the phrase while talking to his teammates against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Woods’ Google triumph saw him beat golf’s glamor girl and social media sensation, Paige Spiranac, who boasts an impressive 3.9 million followers on Instagram.
She came in as the most-Googled player in four states and second in 32.
Spiranac has become one of the most influential names in the sport thanks to her posts
The blonde beauty even earned herself the title of ‘world’s sexiest woman’ from Maxim
Spiranac, who played Division 1 college golf at both the University of Arizona and San Diego State before struggling to make it on the LPGA Tour, has taken social media by storm in her tiny, tight-fit skirts and low-cut tops, earning her the title of ‘world’s sexiest woman’.
While she may have failed to pip Woods in the Google rankings this year, Spiranac easily rivals the 82-time winner on the PGA Tour and Rory McIlroy in terms of social media popularity.
The American beauty is worth around $3.7m, and rakes in an estimated $12,000 per Instagram post.
That is more per Instagram post than the likes of Woods and McIlroy, the biggest names in the men’s game.
Two thousand dollars more than Woods to be precise, with the 15-time major winner boasting just 3.3m Instagram followers compared to Spiranac’s 3.9m.
Meanwhile, McIlroy, who has been the PGA Tour’s most outspoken supporter against LIV over the past two years, dominated third place in most states.
However, surprisingly World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is nowhere to be seen on the leaderboard, with the Texan not even coming third in his home state.
But the likes of Rickie Fowler, Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa also cropped up as popular searches.
Tom Hoge somewhat surprisingly came in top in North Dakota but given he was raised and still resides in Fargo, ND, he clearly has a loyal home-state fanbase.
Similarly, Keegan Bradley was the most popular search in his home state of Vermont after he won the Travelers Championship in Connecticut, and, Tony Finau was the most popular in his native Utah.
Meanwhile, although not an Oklahoma native, Fowler topped the charts in The Sooner State, as an Oklahoma State Cowboy alum.
Serena Williams‘ affinity for fitness is well known. Whether she is in for a workout session or taking mirror selfies afterward, Williams’ sessions in the gym are an important part of her routine. As with most people, Williams too likes to exercise while listening to music. As she finished her latest workout, Williams found herself overtaken by her gym playlist’s incredible quality, which was filled with nostalgia.
The gym playlist in question is her tennis pre-match playlist. As Serena Williams dove into her workout with the playlist, she found herself in the middle of all the memories over the years, the tennis GOAT revealed on X. The pre-match ritual took her back to the time when she dominated the courts.
Nostalgia was not the only thing the playlist brought back. Williams revealed the music got her incredibly pumped for her workout. After all, it is the music she listened to on her path to over 20 career Grand Slam titles!
The pump added to her workout session was only the beginning of the playlist. With it, came back memories of a magnificent career, a grueling climb from juniors all the way to dominating the world of tennis. It became a good time for the WTA veteran to reflect on her time spent as an athlete, something that will always stay with her.
Serena Williams reminds fans the importance of keeping the inner child happy
As a WTA veteran who won it all, Serena Williams’ career has no shortage of achievements. After a lengthy career, the tennis GOAT revealed the secret she carries with herself, keeping her inner child happy.
An avid social media user, Williams took to Instagram to reveal a light-hearted moment from her day. She rolled back the years, as Williams posted a picture sitting in a box full of colorful balls. She wrote, “Sometimes you just have to take a step back to childhood and enjoy the simple things,” and with this, Williams left an important message for fans.
In the hectic life of being an athlete, it is important to keep the child within yourself happy. As she revisited one of her favorite childhood memories, fans could feel their connection to Williams on a more personal level.
Patrick Mouratoglou has revealed that Coco Gauff left a big impression on him during their first meeting.
Gauff was just ten years old at the time, but Mouratoglou said that he felt like she was destined for greatness.
Her drive to succeed was already evident, and Mouratoglou said that she is a rare talent.
“I felt that she was someone so driven, so much confidence in her ability, and that wanted it so much that I felt she had the complete package to reach the top of the game,” Mouratoglou told CNN.
“When she left the office, I told the guys: ‘This one, we take her with us and she can be great’.”
He was stunned by Gauff’s willingness to keep going on the court when other young players faltered.
“The fitness test was incredible for her age,” Mouratoglou added.
“Her competitiveness when it came to playing matches against other players was impressive. She was able to beat players that were technically better than her because of her competitiveness.”
It wasn’t too long until the rest of the tennis world got in on the secret when it came to Gauff.
“Coco has been making history since she was a kid, literally,” said Mouratoglou. “At 13 and a half years old, she was in the finals of the US Open in juniors. At 14, she was winning Roland Garros in juniors.”
He feels that Gauff has been able to cope with the pressure of expectations and is set to be a big force in the game.
“She has learned to deal with [the pressure] at a young age, and that explains partly her ability to win her first grand slam final at only 19 years old,” said Mouratoglou.
“She can still improve so much – which is a good thing, by the way – in many aspects of her game, but I think with her drive, her team, her motivation and her abilities, she definitely can win a few [more majors],” added Mouratoglou.
“Americans say, ‘Sky’s the limit.’ I don’t see any limit and I would not give her any limits.”
Mouratoglou believes that Serena Williams, whom he has coached, and her sister Venus have launched many careers including Gauff’s.
“I think the Williams sisters have inspired a lot of African Americans and Black people in general,” the coach said.
“Before them, very few people of color have been at the top of the game in that sport.
“You feel it’s not a place for you because you don’t see any people that look like you there. And I think Venus and Serena really opened a big gate for people of color in that sport, and that’s amazing.
“When you see someone that looks like you, who is winning grand slams, making history, and there are two of them, you think, ‘maybe it’s possible for me, too.’
Former professional alpine skier Lindsey Vonn had a big year in 2010. Aside from the obvious reasons—a gold medal in the Vancouver Olympics being the biggest, of course—the athlete made a lot of important media appearances that we won’t soon forget.
That year, she made her debut within the pages of the annual SI Swimsuit Issue, posing for a series of photos that were about as stunning as they were fitting. Rather than traveling to white sand beaches of some tropical destination (which she would ultimately make her way to for both her 2016 and 2019 features), Vonn headed to the snowy mountains of Whistler, Canada for her photoshoot. And, like any great creative endeavor, she had props that spoke to her skills.
In addition to donning a series of bright red-and-white bikinis, the 39-year-old trudged around the white hills with a pair of matching skis by her side—the perfect complement to her afternoon on the slopes.
The trip to Canada—though, of course, fantastic in its own right—was also important as a good omen for her coming Olympic appearance. Later that year, she would compete in the Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada. It was there that Vonn won her first and only Olympic gold medal (to which she added a bronze, as well).
But her fantastic year in the North American country started with her SI Swimsuit appearance, and a wonderful one at that. Here are a few of the incredible photos from her trip.
Novak Djokovic said he has no plans to hang up his racket any time soon and, at age 36, is hoping he might be able to emulate American football great Tom Brady by extending his career well past his 40th birthday.
Quarterback Brady played 23 seasons in the National Football League, winning seven Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before finally calling it quits at the age of 45 earlier this year.
“Tom Brady is a great example of a champion in his sport and someone that has had such a great career and longevity,” Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, told reporters in the Saudi capital.
“He has put a lot of hours and a lot of time into self-care, into recovery, into making sure that in a way every aspect of his body and mind is covered so that he can have a long-lasting, successful career.
“I know him personally and I learned a lot from him, from his example, and hopefully I can have a career that goes up to 40 or maybe even beyond — let’s see.”
Brady was in Djokovic’s box at Roland Garros in June to watch his friend win the French Open, one of three Grand Slam trophies the Serbian captured in 2023 along with the Australian and U.S. Open titles.
“I feel great in my own body right now and I’ve been playing some really high-quality tennis,” Djokovic said. “2023 was one of the best seasons I’ve had in my life and why stop while you’re still playing great? So I’ll keep going and take [each] year, one by one, and see how far I go.”
Alcaraz beat the Serbian in a five-set thriller to win this year’s other Grand Slam title at Wimbledon and Djokovic welcomed the rise of the 20-year-old Spaniard, especially as Roger Federer has retired and Rafa Nadal is entering his last season.
Tyson Fury versus Oleksandr Usyk is one of the toughest fights to call in early 2024 but Riddick Bowe thinks he knows exactly the round in which it will end.
This fight had been a long time coming but is now fast approaching with February 17 in Saudi Arabia just weeks away. The build-up has seen plenty of people wondering about how Fury is going to fair given that he was below par in his last fight against Francis Ngannou.
His own father thinks there has been something of a decline and the huge Day of Reckoning card last week also had an impact on his resume with former foes Otto Wallin and Deontay Wilder both being easily beaten by Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker respectively.
Meanwhile, Ukranian Usyk has continued to show superb form since coming up from being undisputed cruiserweight champion with back-to-back wins over Joshua and then a second defence of his three heavyweight world title belts against Daniel Dubois.
Speaking to Fight Hype, Bowe doesn’t think the fight will make it to the halfway point.
“I think it will be a great fight but I’m going to go with Tyson, I think he’ll get to him in the 5th round.”
That would be some performance for Fury to knock out a man who has not yet been put down in the heavyweight division.
Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens have a lot to celebrate this holiday season.
The 26-year-old Olympic gold medalist and 28-year-old NFL player celebrated their first Christmas together since tying the knot earlier this year.
Showing their festive spirit on Monday, Biles shared an adorable photo of the pair kissing in front of a white, silver and blue tree wearing matching plaid pajamas.
“Merry Christmas,” the newlywed captioned the Instagram shot, also showing off some fancy, candy cane drinks and a solo snap of Owens smiling wide on her Stories. The Green Bay Packers safety will be heading to Minnesota for a Viking matchup on New Year’s Eve.
Their happy celebration comes after Owens found himself in hot water for saying that he didn’t know who Biles was when they first met and considers himself the “catch” in their relationship.
Both Biles and Owens laughed off the backlash. “Unbothered 😂❤️,” he wrote on Friday, alongside a series of sweet photographs of he and his wife. “Just know we locked in over here 🤞🏽.”
“🤞🏾💋 for life,” Biles commented, sharing a screengrab of the remark on her Instagram Story.
“Are y’all done yet?” she teased on X Saturday night.
Biles and Owens got legally married at a courthouse in April, just one month before tying the knot again in an elaborate ceremony in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Since then, the two have remained long distanced as Owens signed with the Packers in May, after previously playing for their hometown Houston Texans.
Just before the holiday, Biles told PEOPLE she knows the season can be “hectic” with so much going on, “but this is a reminder to slow down, be present and really take in this special time of year.”
“Our lives can get so busy, so I plan on prioritizing self compassion and daily well-being by getting great sleep, resting when I need to, and surrounding myself with people that lift me up — family, friends, and of course, my dogs!” she shared.
Jonathan Owens and Simone Biles.
Looking back on her exciting year, including winning the gold medal in the women’s all-around final at the World Championships in October, and on the heels of a two-year break from the international side of the sport, Biles told PEOPLE she’s proud of her accomplishments this year.
“It honestly feels amazing to return to competition, I never thought I would compete again so this is a blessing,” Biles said. “My favorite moment has been competing alongside my WCC teammates.”
Simone Biles competes on the balance beam at the Core Hydration Classic on August 5, 2023
Throughout their long-distance relationship, Biles has attended several of Owens’ games. She shared in an interview on the Today show in October that she enjoys watching her new husband from the sidelines.
“It’s been really fun supporting what he loves to do,” she added. “Obviously, he’s in Green Bay right now so my season just ended. I’m super excited to get out there to Green Bay for the holidays to support him.”
Emma Raducanu is reportedly facing the prospect of competing in the Australian Open qualifiers in order to play in next month’s tournament. The Brit is set to make her long-awaited comeback from injury in preparation for the Major, but is holding onto hope of being awarded a last-minute wildcard.
The i claim that Raducanu has requested a wildcard after her special ranking (world No 103) was not enough to qualify her for the main draw, as a result of an injury-ravaged 2023 that saw her spend eight months sidelined following surgeries on both wrists.
But the 21-year-old has not received any indication, positive or negative, as to whether she will receive a wildcard with the tournament two weeks away – leaving her sweating over whether she will need to take part in qualifiers.
Raducanu has been granted a wildcard for the ASB Classic in Auckland next week, where she will make her initial return from injury as he bids to enjoy a healthier 2024.
Emma Raducanu may not be awarded an Australian Open wildcard.
She is then expected to head to Australia regardless of whether she is given a wildcard and can prepare in Melbourne, or for the qualifiers as she was previously confirmed as one of the entrants for the qualifying draw.
The Brit may have another chance of skipping qualifying should three more players pull out of the tournament through injury, after Caty McNally recently withdrew.
Emma Raducanu is hoping to put an end to eight months of injuries
Tennis Australia has already given a wildcard to 2018 champion Caroline Wozniacki, who is coming out of retirement to compete. A further two spots will be handed to French and American players as part of an agreement with their respective opens.
Another wildcard is typically reserved for a player from the Asia-Pacific region, leaving four more for Australian women in their home event.
Raducanu may have hoped for sympathy from the tournament organisers as she makes her comeback from injury, but could instead be forced to go through the qualifiers.
Claressa Shields has already etched her name in boxing history. As the first American woman to claim Olympic gold in boxing and the first American, irrespective of gender, to secure consecutive Olympic golds, Shields stands as a trailblazer in the sport. However, outside the ring, Shields is also known for her adept trash-talking skills.
Recently, Alycia Baumgardner, the undisputed super featherweight world champion, threw down the gauntlet, challenging Shields to a bout. Responding to Baumgardner’s call, Shields confidently asserted that facing her would be an easy task. Just when fans thought, the two had stopped going back-and-forth, the two locked horns once again on social media.
Claressa Shields and Baumgardner at each other’s throats
In the boxing world, where respect is earned in the ring, a new feud has emerged between Claressa Shields and Alycia Baumgardner. Shields recently took to social media, stating, “I’ve never hated on a boxer in my life I just don’t mess with a lot of fighters cause they weird!!!! I thought this goofy was different, but she been a hater from jump. So mad that I got the opportunity to fight at LCA & her network had her at the Masonic temple… its levels to this shit. You gotta earn it!“
She emphasized her recent fight at the Little Caesars Arena (LCA) which cost $862.9 million to build, hinting at Baumgardner’s lesser-known venue, the Masonic temple. Shields feels that not all fighters are on the same level, and she clearly believes she’s on a higher one.
Baumgardner didn’t hold back either, responding, “Like I said a cap a** bih. Are you dumb? A hater? Girl, do you know who I am.” She defended her choice of venue and pointed out that Shields had also fought at the Masonic temple. Moreover, she also claimed, “Bc you fought at LCA..a half empty stadium ! BFFR.”
The back-and-forth continued with Shields pointing towards how Baumgardner got suspended after failing a drug test. She stated, “She’s triggered again like bro go punch a bag & pray you get off the suspended list. This bishhh capped out talking like she really like that it’s so funny.”
This rivalry highlights the competitive nature of boxing. Only time will tell if these two will settle their differences in the ring. Here’s what happened recently when Baumgardner called Shields out for a bout.
Shields claims she is better even without the knockout power
In the previous exchange, Shields pointed out Baumgardner’s loss, stating, “They got all that KNOCKOUT POWER but still got them losses though.” Baumgardner’s sole defeat came against Christina Linardatou in her first WBC International Super featherweight title defense. On the other hand, Shields highlighted her flawless record, emphasizing her No.1 pound-for-pound ranking. Notably, Shields holds multiple titles, including WBA, WBC, IBF, and more.
Transitioning to the broader landscape of women’s boxing, Shields acknowledged the growing tension between them. This rivalry has undoubtedly become a focal point in the realm of female boxing. What do you think about the potential fight between the two? Would you watch it? Do share your thoughts in the comments below.
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