Stephen A. Smith might have no problem going toe to toe with athletes, current and former, but now he might have to take on Rihanna’s fan base.
The 55-year-old sports commentator recently shared his thoughts on Rihanna’s upcoming Super Bowl LVII performance while visiting Sherri Shepherd’s daytime talk show Sherri. While he said that he is excited about her performance, he made sure to stir the pot, saying that the Barbadian pop star is no Beyoncé.
“I don’t wanna say I’m not excited,” he said in response, with the ensuing moments including audible reactions from the audience. “She’s fantastic. That’s not where I’m going with this. Ladies and gentlemen, she’s a lot of things. She’s spectacular, actually. And congratulations on new-momma-hood. There’s one thing she’s not. She ain’t Beyoncé.”
He went on to elaborate on his statement, saying, “Hold on. … The only reason I brought up Beyoncé is because Beyoncé recently performed at the Super Bowl, with and without Bruno Mars and Coldplay,”
Sherri pushed back, saying that Beyoncé had her time, and now it’s Rihanna’s time to perform at a Super Bowl. Stephen A. Smith, however, applied Sherri’s argument to television, saying that Shepherd was in a league of her own and then there’s “everybody else.” Likewise, he believes that Beyoncé is in a league of her own, then there’s everybody else.
“Rihanna’s music is fantastic,” Smith said. “She’s great. She’s a sister. I love her dearly. I listen to her music. I’m gonna support her until the cows come home. I’m just telling you: for me, there’s Beyoncé and there’s everybody else. Just like there was Michael Jackson and there’s everybody else.”
You can watch Stephen A. Smith’s full remarks below.
With a fight record of 28-0 with 26 KO’s and co-signs from some of the greatest boxers of all time, including Floyd Mayweather, Gervonta Davis is surely one of the greatest, if not the greatest lightweight boxer right now.
Apparently his quick and vicious fighting style has garnered some comparisons between him and boxing legend and former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who was known for his punching power and early knockouts.
TMZ caught up with the former heavyweight champion in LA and was asked what he thought about comparisons between himself and “Tank” Davis.
“Tank is a great fighter,” Tyson said. “He’ll be [a legend] too if he keeps fighting.”
Davis remains undefeated after a 9th-round TKO versus Hector Garcia. At the beginning of the 9th, Garcia’s team said that their fighter would not continue. Garcia later said that he got hit so hard in the last round that he could not see.
Davis’ next fight will probably be his most anticipated yet as he fights undefeated lightweight Ryan Garcia on April 15th in Las Vegas.
Skip Bayless is facing heavy amounts of backlash for his tweet concerning the postponing Bills and Bengals game when Damar Hamlin had suffered cardiac arrest just moments before. He has even ruffled the feathers of his Undisputed cohost, Shannon Sharpe, who did not show up to work on Monday and caught an attitude with Skip for interrupting him while he was doing his monologue. In a video posted to his Instagram, former small forward Matt Barnes slammed Bayless for his insensitive comments and said that he has had to stop people from assaulting Bayless on two separate occasions prior to the Damar Hamlin tweet.
“First of all, Skip is a professional in this realm, [and] was highly respected,” Barnes said. “When people say, ‘read the whole tweet,’ he said the game was ‘irrelevant.’ He knew he had to put that at the end of the bullshit he was saying hoping we didn’t see through the bullshit, because how he truly felt was his original first sentence.”
Barnes added that Skip seemed to be more concerned over the game than Damar Hamlin’s health and that Skip’s “day” might be coming, amid tension that has been brewing between him and Shannon Sharpe.
“I just feel as of late he’s been very very very disrespectful and out of pocket, and that’s normal, but he’s been that way to Shannon [Sharpe]. I think Skip’s day is coming, and it may not be from a firing standpoint because you know white men in this profession can kinda get away with and do what they want.”
Barnes then added that he has had to stop a player, and a coach, on two different occasions from assaulting the sports commentator, and said that one day someone is going to end up getting physical with him.
“I know personally that I’ve had to diffuse two situations,” Barnes said. “One with a coach, and one with an NBA player. They wanted to fuck Skip up. … One was this year, one was last year. … Luckily cooler heads prevailed, but it’s just gone too far in my opinion. Shannon’s had a lot of love or does have a lot of love for dude, but you can even see Shannon’s fed up. And someone’s gonna end up hurting Skip.”
Undisputed co-host Skip Bayless apologized to viewers on Tuesday’s (Jan. 3) episode, with an absent co-host Shannon Sharpe, for his tweet following the horrific injury of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin during the Monday Night Football game on January 2nd between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. The 71-year-old famed journalist/correspondent was met with huge backlash on Monday night after tweeting to his 3.2 million followers on Twitter: “No doubt the NFL is considering postponing the rest of this game – but how? This last in the season, a game of this magnitude is crucial to the regular-season outcome … which suddenly seems so irrelevant.”
With papers shaking in his hand Skip Bayless does not apologize for his tweet he sent as Damar Hamlin fights for his life after going into cardiac arrest after making a football tackle. Co-host Shannon Sharpe is a no show for Undisputed. pic.twitter.com/v3sWSIobs9
Bayless began Tuesday’s episode with an apologetic opening monologue, in which he said, “I apologize for what we’re going to do today. I’m not sure I’m capable of doing this show today but, after barely sleeping on it, I decided to give it a try. Maybe I’ll fail, maybe we will fail, but we’re going to try. We wrestled through most of the night whether to even do a show today because we felt like, in our minds, we almost can’t win with this because the last thing we want to do is come off as insensitive to what this young man is going through in a life or death situation.”
An outraged social media called for Skip Bayless’s firing by Fox Sports 1 on Monday evening, with several retired NFL football stars like 6-time Pro Bowl wide-receiver Terrell Owens calling him “dead wrong” and hoping he loses his job. The network made no comment on Skip Bayless or the Damar Hamlin situation at press time.
No doubt the NFL is considering postponing the rest of this game – but how? This late in the season, a game of this magnitude is crucial to the regular-season outcome … which suddenly seems so irrelevant.
In the midst of the backlash on Monday, Bayless followed up his original tweet with a concerning tweet about Hamlin’s health and the ultimate importance of health for the players over the game.
“Nothing is more important than that young man’s health,” he wrote. “That was the point of my last tweet. I’m sorry if that was misunderstood but his health is all that matters. Again, everything else is irrelevant. I prayed for him & will continue to.”
Although absent from Undisputed on Tuesday, Shannon Sharpe shared his prayers with fans, Hamlin and his family on Monday evening. “Please keep Demar Hamlin and his family in your thoughts and prayers,” wrote The three-time Super Bowl champion. “NFL doesn’t have a manual on how to proceed after an incident like this.”
Amid Damar Hamlin’s injury, the NFL has announced that the game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals will not resume this week.
More updates on this story as they become available.
On the eve of 2023, UFC chairman Dana White and his wife Anne White were spotted in a drunken fight in Cabo San Lucas, and the entire altercation was caught on video.
Rumor has it that White and his wife’s scuffle began over accusations that he slept with his wife’s sister.
White spoke to TMZ about the fight, saying, “You’ve heard me say for years, ‘There’s never ever an excuse for a guy to put his hands on a woman,’ and now here I am on TMZ talking about it.”
Anne White also gave her statement to TMZ, saying, “Dana and I have been married for almost 30 years. To say this is out of character for him is an understatement — nothing like this has ever happened before. Unfortunately, we were both drinking too much on New Year’s Eve and things got out of control, on both sides. We’ve talked this through as a family and apologized to each other. I just hope people will respect our privacy for the sake of our kids.”
Several videos which have now went viral show Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin take a hard helmet to the chest during the Bills game vs. Cincinnati and soon after collapsed on the field, temporarily suspending the game.
Hamlin suddenly fell to the ground after tackling receiver Tee Higgins, which required the 24-year-old safety to receive CPR and send both teams back int the locker room until further notice just 5:58 into the first quarter. The play came on a second-and-3 play from the Cincinnati 39-yard line. Higgins caught a pass from Joe Burrow for 13 yards and appeared to have his hemet hit Hamlin in the chest.
If this game resumes on Monday night, it was billed as a heavyweight matchup between two AFC contenders with the No. 1 seed hanging in the balance. Cincinnati was able to go on a 75-yard touchdown drive on its opening possession, while Buffalo managed a field goal before the game ultimately was paused following the Hamlin injury.
Multi-division world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarezwas honored with his own statue by Mexico in the boxer’s hometown on Monday evening. Presented by the Mexican government, Canelo marks the second fighter to receive a statue in 2022, following Deontay Wilder in May.
In Juanacatlian, Mexico, surrounded by family, friends, and fans, the 32-year-old champion was honored for his many accomplishments during his ongoing 17-year boxing career. The honor comes on the heels of Canelo latest win against longtime rival Genndaiy “GGG” Golovkin over the Summer.
Canelo is the biggest draw in today’s boxing, with high-profile brand endorsement deals with Hennessy, Louis Vuitton, Tecate, and Under Armour. Alvarez is currently ranked #5 on ESPN boxing’s pound-for-pound list with a record of 57 wins and 2 losses.
DEVELAN ESTATUA DE “EL CANELO” ÁLVAREZ EN JUANACATLÁN
La tarde de ayer se develó la estatua de Saúl “el Canelo” Álvarez en Juanacatlán, Jalisco, para rendir homenaje a sus logros y su carrera.
Alvarez is currently in negotiations for a rematch against Dimitry Bivol, who gave Canelo the second defeat of his career in early 2022. A laundry list of others who want a shot at Canelo includes Jermall Charlo, David Benavidez, Caleb Plant, and Demetrius Andrade.
In related news, Canelo is set to appear in the upcoming film Creed 3, starring and directed by Michael B. Jordan.
Undefeated lightweight boxing star-on-the-rise Frank “The Ghost” Martin(16-0-0) is one fight away from a title shot. But before the knockout artist can receive his first title shot, he must fight his toughest challenger yet in the popular and also undefeated Cuban boxing star Michel Rivera (24-0-0).
The two next-up contenders are set to main event the WBA eliminator on Saturday evening in Las Vegas on Showtime Boxing. One must let go of the undefeated title and the opportunity to fight for a title in the 12-round lightweight bout. The fight is Martin’s most important night of his career yet.
Martin spoke with The Source’s Bryson “Boom” Paul last week via Zoom on the importance of this bout. Throughout the conversation, The Ghost shares Errol’s promise to him following his last victory, Rivera’s skill, being the most wanted fighter in the lightweight division, if he is the most dangerous man in the lightweight division, more
Read the full interview below.
[Bryson “Boom” Paul”]:This is a big deal, man. This is a WBA eliminator, man. So after this, it’s the title shot, man. How do you feel?
[Frank Martin]: I feel good. I’m working. I’m ready to go out there and do what I do.
Now, this is also a special moment for you, something that you probably haven’t even thought about. This is your third time fighting in Vegas, and this’ll be your third time fighting an undefeated fighter. So tell me about the experience that you’re going to take into this fight, being that one 0 must go.
Just my grind. My grind, with me having Derrick James behind me, that coaching, that’s definitely going to take me over the top. And then just my natural ability, just my skills. But like you say, somebody 0 got to go, and I feel like it’s one of them things, it’s going to be who want it. When we in there, it’s going to be like, which one of them going to bite down and go get it? I’m known for doing it, so it ain’t nothing. It ain’t going to change.
You are fighting Michel Rivera on December 17th at the Cosmo in Las Vegas. They have him ranked number two and got you ranked at number 10. How do you feel going into this being the favorite, though?
Man, I ain’t really looking at it like that. They can rank it how they want to rank it, but it all depends when we get in there in that ring. So I got to just go in there and just do what I do. I don’t let the rankings or none of that play with my head. I’m going for the number one spot. So I got to go ahead and handle my business.
Now, what a lot of people don’t know is this is a fight that was promised to you by Errol Spence Jr, who’s also helping you promote the fight. Can you add some clarity to that promise? Where does this promise come from? How did they make sure you got this fight that you wanted so bad?
From the jump, he told me he was going to give me big fights, “I’m going to get you the big fights you want,” and everything like that. So this one, it had got mentioned earlier in the year, but there was some stuff going on with me or whatever, so we wasn’t able to make it happen. But it came back around once Chris Colbert didn’t end up taking the fight or whatever, he said he wasn’t ready.
So this came back around. So I’m like, “I’m with it, but what this for? Is it something that we fighting for?” And it was, it’s the title eliminator to get me closer to the WBA belt. So with that, that’s all I needed to hear. I’m like, “Let’s get it.”
Because a lot of people ain’t going to fight me. None of the top guys going to just be like, “All right, yeah, we’re going to fight him.” I’m going to have to work. I got to earn it.
So this one of them things that I’m like, “Yeah, it’s the opportunity, I have to take this to get me in that door with them top dogs or whatever, and get me in that position.” So they can’t say, “What’s his ranking? Where he at?” I’m right there. I’m in the number one spot.
That’s why he was promising me that, basically, he was going to give me the big fights and give me a belt or whatever. So this is the perfect setup. This is the perfect opportunity for me.
Now, this is your third fight this year. How do you like this activity? Do you want to take this into next year, where you fight three times a year?
Right now, I’ll fight more. If I could fight four times, four, three. I would really like to fight four. Give me four quarters. Give me four quarters, and I’m going to rock with it. Three good, but four, if I can get four next year, or three, either/or, cool.
You got a lot of fighters in the lightweight division, a lot of them got their eyes on you, and a lot of them have big fights that also involve you in the future. But when other enthusiasts that do these interviews ask you about future fights, ask you about this person, that person, does it ever bother you that they don’t sit here and focus on the fight at hand? Obviously, you are not overlooking anybody. You sitting here like, “Rivera is the one in front of me right now, and then we’ll deal with the rest later.” But do you ever get annoyed or frustrated with people asking you questions as far as future fights or future fighters?
Sometimes. Sometimes, because a lot of times people jump ahead of what’s in front of them. I try to be in that moment. I try to focus on what’s right there right now. Because a lot of those fights they talking about might not even happen. Sometimes it’s a waste of energy to even talk about it. I feel like I’m going to respect my opponent that I got right now, and handle my business with him. And then I would prefer, I like to talk more about other fights when I don’t got no fight booked up, something like that. But talking about another fighter, I would prefer to just stick on my man.
Rivera, is he your biggest challenge so far?
Yeah. I would say fighting style, and record wise and all of that, yeah, I’d say that he’s the more skilled fighter. He is similar to the last dude I just fought, I feel like. Might be just a little slicker, but I feel like he similar to the last guy I fought.
Speaking on Jackson, and your last fight, you obviously won, TKO in the 10. But I want to ask you, looking back at the tape, what were some things that you noticed about yourself that you worked on this camp?
Man, there was a lot. I can’t tell you what I’m working on now, you’re going to have to see that. That fight, I didn’t really have a lot of time to prepare for. I probably found out 10 days before the fight. Energy low, so really the game plan, we worked certain things, but some of the stuff wasn’t sticking with me. Energy low, can’t really register everything.
So that fight, I feel like it was a lot of mistakes that I made in that fight. And also, I felt like it was an off night for me, just within. Just my body, there was some stuff that wasn’t working for me that night or whatever. My timing, I was just off a tad bit.
But I figured it out. Derrick gave me good instructions in the corner or whatever, to get me in that zone that I needed to get in. But I had to figure it out, and find it, that fight. But there was some things that I didn’t lock down on, some shots I got hit with that I wasn’t supposed to get hit with. I was real stationary that fight.
Just really trying to get what I got, get that knockout, but I wasn’t doing it. I wasn’t doing it the smooth way. I made it harder than what it had to be.
Obviously, this is a bigger fight, so everything is amped up, and everything’s a little bit different as far as training. Going into training camp now, how has training been for you this time around?
Yeah, it been good, man. My sparring partners, I got a lot of good sparring partners for this camp. Real good sparring partners. I’ve got a nutritionist. Added on extreme conditioning. EJ been real hands-on with me, just as far as we’ve been locked in together, running, working out, everything. We just been locked all the way in. I done added quite a few things different in this camp.
Now your promoter, how has your relationship with Errol Spence grown in and out of the ring?
Oh, it’s good. Me and EJ’s relationship always been good. With this camp, with this fight, he been making sure I’m good with everything. If it’s anything that I need, or anything that could help me, he asking me, like, “Tell me what you need, whatever.” He just making sure I’m all the way mentally where I need to be, physically. Whatever I need, he making sure I’m getting that, so I can be all the way prepared for the fight. He been tapped in with me.
You are going to be a top dog one day yourself. Like you said, EJ has taken care of you, made sure you got everything you need. In the future, when you on top, are you going to be also reaching back to a fighter like yourself? What is something that you’ve learned from EJ that you plan to take on into the future when you reach back for other fighters?
Man, a lot. It’s like little stuff. Some people take things differently though. Some people may be like, little things help him out the most, like if it is a conversation, if it’s showing somebody a move, if it’s whatever. Just how he is with, not even just me, it’s fighters who ask him stuff.
We just went to a fight over the weekend, and it’s a lot of fighters who admire him. So just how he cool, he real social with his fans, and then with other fighters. Not too many fighters, but if it’s a fighter he rock with, you know he going to support him. He going to support him.
So just that right there, just being real supportive of the up-and-coming fighters that I like, that I rock with. Just being supportive of them, and giving them the motivation, if it’s words … Just certain things go a long way.
You have all the abilities and attributes to become one of the greatest lightweights of all time. But I want to ask you, in your opinion, who are your top five lightweights of all time?
I switched it up a lot. I switch mines up a lot. I like Roberto Duran. I pick up a little bit from everybody though, so it’s something from everybody.
Roberto Duran. Pernell Whitaker. Meldrick Taylor. I like Meldrick Taylor. Floyd. Who else? Let me rock out with my four. Let me rock out with my four.
You said this time you got a nutritionist and whatnot. I want to ask you, what have you learned about your eating habit with this nutritionist?
For the most part, I be on point when it come to eating good and everything. Don’t get me wrong, I’m going to eat when … I like seafood a lot. But I don’t just be eating and get out of shape, and just be, “Oh, I got to …” I’m always in shape.
But, with this nutritionist, it’s just everything that I’m eating, I ain’t really gaining too much weight. I’m having energy, I’m eating all the right stuff that I’m supposed to eat, everything balanced. He know exactly like, “All right, I’m going to cut the carbs off this week, and I’m going to take up the protein.” He knowing what to do. I don’t know how to do that on my own.
I normally cook on my own, but he making it easy. Making sure, in the morning, breakfast made as soon as I get up. Lunch, when I get out the gym, done. Dinner, same thing, when I get back, everything done. So I’m eating, and I can do what I got to do.
In training camp right now, but you still have your downtime, so I want to know, what are you doing to stay relaxed in the downtime? Are you watching anything? Reading anything? Meditations? What are you doing in the downtime?
I was doing yoga. I’ve been doing hot yoga. I be doing that cryo. I be doing that cryotherapy, the compressions, and all of that stuff. I got this book I’ve been reading, it’s called … You going to know what it is. What’s the name of the book? The Way of the Superior Man. I’ve been tapped into that book or whatever. I got to tap back in, I ain’t read it in about two weeks though, so I’m going to get back into it. That keep me my mental on point.
This is The Source. Of course, we have to talk about the music. Who are you listening to in the gym, training?
I’ll be listening to that new Lil Baby. That new Lil Baby, Roddy Ricch. Got some NBA. I got some NBA in there, for sure. We be having a little bit of everything going in the gym.
In the gym, it’s not always serious. Boxers often crack jokes on each other a lot in training. Now honestly, who brings the heat?
EJ got the heat. Errol got the heat. Errol got the heat. He got the heat, for sure. He don’t get on me. We be on Reece, we be on Maurice’s head.
Rivera is arguably the toughest you will face yet, but definitely not the toughest opponent that you will face in your career, I’m sure. One 0 must go. Are you worried at all about losing your 0, whether it’s now or in the future?
Nah. Nah, I’m not. I don’t want to lose it, so I’m working, I’m working, working, working. Doing everything I got to do so I can keep it. I’m into, whatever going to get me to where I got to get to. So I ain’t like, “Man, this is a tough fight. I don’t want to lose.” No. I’m fitting to challenge myself. I’m going to do everything I got to do to get this W, but for the most part I’m fitting to challenge myself and go get it. So winning is the only thing right now in my mind.
How does it feel with Showtime Boxing and Premier Boxing Champions getting behind you as a promising main event headliner?
Man, it’s dope. It’s dope. All the hard work is right here now. It’s up to me to go out here and do what I’m supposed to do to keep it going. All the hard days, all of that, is right here, so I just have to go out here and do what I do to keep this momentum going.
You have to set the record straight. Is Frank Martin, the ghost himself, the most dangerous man in the lightweight division?
Yeah.
Watch Martin vs. Rivera at 9PM ET/6PM PT on Saturday, December 17, on Showtime
The trial between the state of California vs. Tory Lanez over the 2020 shooting incident of Megan Thee Stallion began yesterday. Already the case is heating up after the defense revealed some previously unknown information to the jury, and some information regarding Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons.
According to the defense, Tory Lanez told Megan’s former best friend Kelsey Harris that the Traumazine artist had been going behind her back and sleeping with the same men that her best friend slept with. Tory included himself, DaBaby, and Ben Simmons in that list of men.
Shortly after the internet found out that Ben Simmons had been sleeping with Meg and Kelsey, the Brooklyn Nets star decided to take to Instagram where he shared a recent meme of Rick Ross screaming “Accusations! False accusations,” during an AEW wrestling promo.
Ben Simmons posted this to his Instagram story in response to the defense’s opening statement regarding Megan and Kelseypic.twitter.com/36BbMwGSHo
While prosecutors try to establish that Tory Lanez shot Megan Thee Stallion in the feet and yelled “dance bitch” out of the car, the defense is saying that there is a lot to the story that the prosecution is withholding. The defense argues that Lanez, Kelsey, and Megan were at Kylie Jenner’s house, and Meg and Kelsey got mad at Tory when she saw him in the pool with Kylie. Meg however caused a scene and Kylie told her to leave.
The three got in the car and Tory questioned Kelsey why she was defending her friend even though Meg was going behind her back and sleeping with the same men she was involved with. A fight between the two former best friends would ensue, and the rest is history.
Bally Sports officials says Atlanta Hawks announcer Bob Rathbun is “in great spirits” after an on-air medical emergency during a live broadcast of the Hawks vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder sent him on an express trip in an ambulance.
The 68-year-old Hawks play-by-play announcer lost his consciousness during the preview of the Hawks vs. Thunder game alongside NBA HOFer Dominique Wilkins when he fell back in his chair and began having convulsions.
Medical personnel rushed to tend to him before the cameras were able to cut.
According to Bally Sports officials, Rathbun was suffering from dehydration and was taken to a local medical facility. They said he’s now both “stable and responsive.”
: Vanessa Flores 
