Manager pressures club to assess injury histories before contract renewals
By Rasheed Adewuyi
Leicester City may not renew the contract of Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi due to his injury history if the words of Brendan Rodgers are anything to go by.
Ndidi has been dogged by injury of recent and Brendan Rodgers implores Leicester management to start accessing players’ injury histories before future contract renegotiations.
Ndidi injury history shows that he missed three matches in the 2019/2020 season due to knee problems, fourteen games in 2020/2021 season because of abductor muscle tear, another three games in the second half of the season was missed by the player for thigh strain, and he was sidelined for seventeen games in 2021/ 2022 season for a knee problem.
Ndidi is not the only Leicester player that could be affected by the new Brendan Rodgers proposed contract plan to the management.
Other players are Captain Jonny Evans, who is likely to return to action anytime soon after missing sixteen matches this season, Jane Justice (calf, shin and heel), Youri Tielemans (ankle) , Victor Kristiansen (ankle), Ryan Bertrand ( ankle), and Jannik Vestegaard (ruled out).
Leicester has struggled this season because of lengthy injury layoffs to several players, a situation which has placed Rodger’s job on the line.
British football pundits are of the view that Leicester are avoiding sacking their manager because of cash crunch which can hinder a contractual obligation to pay 10 million pounds in severance penalty to the coach upon early contractual.
The present position of the Foxes on the premier league table may have forced Rodgers to come up with the idea of reassessing players fitness before extending their contracts in future.
Shawn Michaels announces NXT women’s championship ladder match
Presented by Ed Emeanua
Following Roxanne Perez’ blackout after successfully defending her NXT Women’s title against Meiko Satomura, Shawn Michaels affirmed that a Ladder Match will event at NXT Stand & Deliver to determine a new NXT champion.
WWE NXT results, March 14, 2023: Bron Breakker and Carmelo Hayes engage in tense standoff during contract signing
Gallus successfully defends the NXT Tag Team Titles against Pretty Deadly, Shawn Michaels makes multiple announcements for NXT Stand & Deliver, Apollo Crews battled but fell to Dabba-Kato, Johnny Gargano and Grayson Waller brawled at the Gargano family home, and more!
Gallus def. Pretty Deadly – NXT Tag Team Championship Match
Gallus boys remained on top as Mark Coffey & Wolfgang dispatched their long time rivals Pretty Deadly in an incredible matchup.
The champions were rolling early, but the clever tricks like distracting the referee by Elton Prince & Kit Wilson gave the Yes Boys some life.
As the action continued, Pretty Deadly neutralized Wolfgang by sending him into the announce table and the chaos allowed Wilson to nail Coffey with the title, but he managed to kick out.
Pretty Deadly never recovered from that as Wolfgang reappeared, allowing them to isolate Wilson and retain their championships.
Zoey Stark def. Sol Ruca – NXT Women’s Championship Qualifying Match
Zoey Stark kept up with her winning ways and backed up every bit of trash talk as she once again conquered her longtime foe, Sol Ruca.
A chance to compete for the NXT Women’s Championship at NXT Stand & Deliver added major stakes to an already heated rivalry, and early on it was clear the disdain that both Superstars had for each other.
The athletic Ruca was building momentum, hitting an incredible lariat in the corner followed up by a moonsault to the outside, but Stark was just biding her time as once they rolled back into the ring, Stark nailed a devastating knee lift to punch her ticket to NXT Stand & Deliver.
Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn def. Kayden Carter & Katana Chance and Ivy Nile & Tatum Paxley
A chaotic Triple Threat tag team match went the way of the peculiar pair of Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn thanks to the implosion of Diamond Mine.
After Dawn & Fyre isolated Ivy Nile thanks to a brutal barrage of kicks, Kayden Carter & Katana Chance evened the odds to allow Nile to tag in Tatum Paxley, but Paxley had other ideas and not only refused to tag in, but scolded Nile and attacked her.
A shocked and confused Nile was left helpless in the ring as Fyre & Dawn swarmed her before finally hitting a backbreaker and swanton bomb which gave them the victory.
Dabba-Kato def. Apollo Crews
A brutal, hard-fought match went the way of Dabba-Kato as he demolished his former ally, Apollo Crews.
Crews wasted no time getting the action started, launching himself right at Dabba-Kato before the bell even rang.
When the match officially began, the two Superstars went back and forth showcasing their offense with Dabba-Kato unleashing his brute strength while Crews used his athleticism to systematically stun the giant.
Dabba-Kato finally ended the match by slamming Crews onto the steel steps and a subsequent sit-out chokeslam powerbomb.
Gigi Dolin def. Kiana James – NXT Women’s Championship Qualifying Match
One week after downing Jacy Jayne, Gigi Dolin became the second Superstar to qualify for the NXT Women’s Championship Ladder Match by defeating one half of the NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions, Kiana James.
Dolin looked like a Superstar on a mission as she controlled the match from nearly start to finish, rocking James with multiple strikes
The fiery redhead put an exclamation point on the match by nailing James with an abdominal stretch into a snap, a move that sent her to NXT Stand & Deliver.
WWE NXT Preview (3/14): Johnny Gargano To Appear, Two Championship Matches, More
Johnny Gargano will appear on “WWE NXT” tonight following his surprise return to the brand seven nights ago Danny Wolstanholme reports for Wrestling INC.
The former “NXT” Champion made his presence felt during “The Grayson Waller Effect” with guest Shawn Michaels and got into a brawl with the host.
As a result, the two rivals will collide at Stand & Deliver during WrestleMania 39 weekend in Los Angeles, California.
Gargano pays a visit to the show this evening after he and Dexter Lumis suffered a loss to The Judgment Day’s Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio in tag team action last night on “WWE Raw.”
Meanwhile, Wes Lee will put the “NXT” North American Championship on the line after issuing another open challenge.
Interestingly, Cedric Alexander indicated that he would like to answer the call in a post on social media after Axiom put his name forward in a backstage segment last week.
Additionally, Gallus’ Wolfgang and Mark Coffey will defend the “NXT” Tag Team Championship against Elton Prince and Kit Wilson of Pretty Deadly.
The former champions believe the titles were stolen from them last December and that Gallus has prevented them from winning the gold back since.
Elsewhere, Apollo Crews and Dabba-Kato will settle their differences in the ring. Kato turned on Crews following his two-out-of-three falls match with Carmelo Hayes at Vengeance Day last month, and now the former WWE Intercontinental Champion is out for revenge.
Finally, an update will likely be provided on the condition of reigning “NXT” Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez after she was taken to a local medical facility following her successful title defense against Meiko Satomura last Tuesday night.
Roxanne Perez’s Availability In Doubt, WWE NXT Poised To Crown New Women’s Champ At Stand & Deliver
Roxanne Perez Smiling WWE
It appears that a new “WWE NXT” Women’s Champion will be crowned at the brand’s Stand & Deliver event, Kellie Haulotte writes for Wrestling INC.
WWE Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels took to Twitter and announced that there will be a series of qualifying matches starting on tonight’s episode to determine who will be competing at Stand & Deliver in a ladder match for the “NXT” Women’s Championship.
“As of Friday Morning Roxanne Perez was discharged from the hospital,” Michaels wrote.
“However, after numerous tests, Roxanne’s health is still in question. With Stand and Deliver in less than three weeks, I have the obligation to announce we possibly have to crown a New NXT Women’s Champion.
“Starting tonight there will be a series of qualifying matches with the winners advancing to Stand and Deliver to compete to become the NXT Women’s Champion in a Ladder Match.”
The end of the March 7 episode of “NXT” saw Perez suddenly “collapse” after she retained her title against Meiko Satomura. Perez was stretchered out of the arena to an ambulance backstage.
This happened after several vignettes showed her “exhaustive workouts” ahead of the big match with the former “NXT UK” Women’s Champion.
Perez has been the “NXT” Women’s Champion since defeating former WWE Superstar Mandy Rose on the December 13 edition of “NXT.”
Stand & Deliver is set for Saturday, April 1 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. It will be on the same day as night one of WrestleMania 39 and will be starting at 1 PM ET.
Other matches announced include Bron Breakker defending his “NXT” Championship against Carmelo Hayes and Grayson Waller will be facing Johnny Gargano.
Discover the results from all 40 first-round games as well as the four second-round and three championship-round clashes from the 2023 WBC, as well as pool standings.
(Picture by 2023 Getty Images)
The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is back.
It’s men’s baseball’s biggest global tournament, jointly sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and the sport’s international governing federation the World Baseball Softball Confederation, and it’s making its return after six years.
Unlike other major men’s baseball tournaments, MLB players are allowed to participate in the WBC. For the first time, 20 teams (up from 16) will participate in the final tournament, with four teams having made it through a preliminary qualifying round.
Discover the full 2023 WBC results and standings below.
Pool A standings (tiebreak: runs allowed÷defensive outs recorded)
Team
Wins
Losses
Runs scored
Runs allowed
Win Pct
Cuba – Q
2
2
25
15
.500
Italy – Q
2
2
20
17
.500
Netherlands
2
2
13
19
.500
Panama
2
2
19
21
.500
Chinese Taipei
2
2
26
31
.500
Pool B
Host venue: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo
Australia 8, Rep. Korea 7
China PR 1, Japan 8
Czechia 8, China 5
Rep. Korea 4, Japan 13
China 2, Australia 12 (F/7 innings)
Czechia 2, Japan 10
Czechia 3, Rep. Korea 10
Japan 7, Australia 1
Australia 8, Czechia 3
Rep. Korea 22, China 2 (F/5 innings)
Pool B standings
Team
Wins
Losses
Runs scored
Runs allowed
Win Pct
Japan – Q
4
0
38
8
1.000
Australia – Q
3
1
29
19
.750
Korea Rep
2
2
40
26
.500
Czech Rep. (Czechia)
1
3
16
30
.250
China PR
0
4
10
51
.000
Pool C
Host venue: Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona
Colombia 5, Mexico 4 (F/10 innings)
Great Britain 2, USA 6
Great Britain 8, Canada 18 (F/7 innings)
Mexico 11, USA 5
Colombia 5, Great Britain 7
Canada 1, USA 12 (F/7 innings)
Canada @ Colombia, March 14
Great Britain @ Mexico, March 14
Mexico @ Canada, March 15
USA @ Colombia, March 15
Pool C standings
Team
Wins
Losses
Runs scored
Runs allowed
Win Pct
United States
2
1
23
14
.667
Canada
1
1
19
20
.500
Colombia
1
1
10
11
.500
Mexico
1
1
15
19
.500
Great Britain
1
2
17
29
.333
Pool D
Host venue: LoanDepot Park, Miami, Florida
Nicaragua 1, Puerto Rico 9
Dominican Republic 1, Venezuela 5
Nicaragua 1, Israel 3
Venezuela 9, Puerto Rico 6
Dominican Republic 6, Nicaragua 1
Israel 0, Puerto Rico 10 (F/8 innings)
Nicaragua @ Venezuela, March 14
Israel @ Dominican Republic, March 14
Venezuela @ Israel, March 15
Puerto Rico @ Dominican Republic, March 15
Pool D standings
Team
Wins
Losses
Runs scored
Runs allowed
Win Pct
Venezuela
2
0
14
7
1.000
Puerto Rico
2
1
25
10
.667
Dominican Republic
1
1
7
6
.500
Israel
1
1
3
11
.500
Nicaragua
0
3
3
18
.000
Second Round
Host venue: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo
Australia @ Cuba, March 15
Italy @ Japan, March 16
Host venue: LoanDepot Park, Miami, Florida
Quarter-finals Game 3, March 17
Quarter-finals Game 4, March 18
Championship Round
Host venue: LoanDepot
Park, Miami, Florida
Semi-finals Game 1, March 19
Semi-finals Game 2, March 20
Championship Game, March 21
How to watch 2023 WBC live
Fox Sports has the exclusive rights to the tournament in the United States, and will broadcast on Fox, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, the Fox Sports App, and Fox Deportes in Spanish.
In the United Kingdom, games are being broadcast on BT Sport; Sportsnet (English) and TVA Sports (French) are the broadcasters in Canada.
In Japan, the WBC will be on TV Asahi and TBS, as well as streaming on J SPORTS and Amazon Prime Video (selected games only).
WWE RAW yesterday reaffirmed that Rey Mysterio will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, Class of 2023.
The Master of the 619 has had an illustrious career, having notable encounters in not only WWE but also ECW, AAA, CMLL, NJPW, and WCW.
In WWE, he won numerous accolades, including the 2006 Royal Rumble, the World Heavyweight Championship twice and the WWE Championship once. He is also a Triple Crown and Grand Slam Champion.
Mysterio had an abundance of memorable moments and rivalries, including his battles with Eddie Guerrero, Batista, Kurt Angle, Cody Rhodes and Edge, to name a few.
WWE congratulates Mysterio on becoming a WWE Hall of Famer!
Bloodline use of ambush continues to yield dividend helps Solo Sikoa to a Street Fight victory over
Omos hauling Brock Lesnar out of the ring
Presented by Ed Emeanua
Roman Reigns’ Bloodline continues to use ambush tactics to prolong their hold to WWE wrestling titles. Yesterday’s Monday Night Raw saw the Bloodline use the waylay method to huge advantage this time at Kevin Owens’ disadvantage.
The Usos, once again deployed their now famous surprise attack on Owens to assist Solo Sikoa in edging out a win against a raging Owens in a brutal Street Fight.
One of the side attraction for the night saw the Nigerian Giant, Omos, effortlessly hurl out Brock Lesnar from the ring like a sack of trash without any repercussion.
Lesnar’s lack of reaction against the Nigerian’s assault was one of the major talking points for the night as no one has ever treated the Martial arts warrior, Lesnar, like that in the past without a major beatdown.
Also, Edge’s expected challenge of Finn Bálor to a Hell in a Cell brawl at WrestleMania was least expected.
WrestleMania 39 is still weeks to go with a much awaited April 1 and 2 schedule dates but it appears the WWE is leaving no stone unturned in their effort to arrange the cards.
The formidable force of Johnny Wrestling and Dexter Lumis go head-to-head with The Judgment Day’s Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio
Moments after Rhea Ripley caused a distraction at ringside, things began to fly off the rails. Dominik took advantage of Johnny Gargano’s back being turned to knock he out of the action. Then, although Dexter Lumis locked in the submission on Dominik, he didn’t see Priest tag into the match. As result, Priest landed an earth-shattering kick before finishing off Lumis with South of Heaven.
Cody Rhodes def. LA Knight
LA Knight may have been insulted that he didn’t have a WrestleMania match as of yet, but that didn’t stop Cody Rhodes from overcoming the outspoken Superstar with the Cross Rhodes en-route to his Undisputed WWE Universal Title Match against Roman Reigns.
In the wake of his victory, The American Nightmare followed up his win with an emotional address of pure defiance towards The Bloodline in response to recent comments by Special Council Paul Heyman. The determined Superstar made it clear that “the sun is going down on Roman Reigns’ generational run.”
Following a major communication breakdown last week, Rick Boogs was taking diligent notes at ringside. At the conclusion of the one-sided matchup, he surely recorded Elias hitting a harsh tune as he was soundly defeated by the Bronson Reed with a devastating Tsunami.
United States Champion Austin Theory def Angelo Dawkins
Following a backstage altercation with The Street Profits in the aftermath of his confrontation with John Cena last week, United States Champion Austin Theory took down Angelo Dawkins with A-Town Down.
When he continued his attack on Dawkins after the bell and locked him into the STF as a message to The Leader of the Cenation, Montez Ford charged down to the ring and Knight headed for the hills.
Rey Mysterio refused Dominik’s WrestleMania challenge
Seth “Freakin” Rollins def. Baron Corbin
After being knocked out in one punch by his WrestleMania opponent Logan Paul a week earlier, Seth “Freakin” Rollins took out his frustration on Baron Corbin in a one-on-one match. When The Host of WrestleMania The Miz got involved in the action, things backfired in a hurry for the A-Lister as The Visionary stepped on his back and used him as a launching pad to hit the victorious Stomp on his unfortunate opponent.
Asuka saved The EST of WWE from a post-match attack
Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair picked up some retribution on the meddling Chelsea Green with the help of The K.O.D. When Carmella and Green launched another two-on-one assault after the bell, however, Belair’s WrestleMania challenger, Asuka, emerged to once again even the odds. As the smoke cleared, though, The Empress of Tomorrow opted to play some creepy mind games with The EST of WWE.
In a brutal Street Fight where the only way to win was by pin fall and submission, Solo Sikoa set out to finally finish Kevin Owens in an absolute war that incorporated the steel rings steps, tables (almost), the unrelenting ring post, steel chairs, the announce table and the general reckless abandoned of both Superstars.
Kevin Owens battled Solo Sikoa in a brutal Street Fight
In the height of the action, the Enforcer of The Bloodline launched KO off the top rope and onto six steel chairs. But still the determined Owens wouldn’t kicked out. Nevertheless, when the Superstars battled into the crowd and Owens chased his opponent backstage, he ran right into an ambush: tereo Superkicks by the waiting Usos. The Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions dragged Owens back in the ring and hit another pair of superkick. This paved the way for Solo to finish him off with the Samoan Spike for the victory.
Sudanese officials to overseer Nigeria versus Guinea first leg match in Abuja
Nigeria U-23 Team
By Rasheed Adewuyi
The Confederation of African Football has appointed officials from Sudan as referees for Wednesday’s Africa U-23 Cup of Nations final qualifying fixture, first leg match between Nigeria and Guinea at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Sabri Mohamed Fadul will be the referee with his compatriots Abdelgabar Mohamed Abdelgabar and Ahmed Subahi as assistant referee 1 and assistant referee 2 respectively, while Ring Nyier Akech Malong from South Sudan will work as fourth official.
Munkaila Nassam Adam from Ghana will be the match commissioner.
The encounter will kick off at 4pm, and offers the Olympic Eagles the opportunity to build an impressive lead ahead of the return leg scheduled for Morocco’s administrative capital, Rabat on Tuesday, 28th March.
CAF has appointed officials from the Democratic Republic of Congo for the second leg, which will hold at the Complexe Sportif Prince Heritier Moulay Al Hassan starting from 7pm Morocco time.
Yannick Malala Kabanga will be referee for the encounter, with his compatriots Guylain Ngila, Rambo Neushiye and Tanguy Lopembe Tangi in the roles of assistant referee 1, assistant referee 2 and fourth official respectively.
Mr. Boussairi Boujlel from Tunisia will be the match commissioner.
Old nemesis Portugal and Argentina, fail to reach World Cup finals
Portugal, who got the best of Nigeria in a 2-0 win in the Final of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Riyadh in 1989, and Argentina, who beat the Flying Eagles to the trophy in the Netherlands in 2005, have both failed to make the cut as the field for this year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup finals in Indonesia was filled up at the weekend.
Europe’s flag bearers will be England, France, Israel, Italy and Slovakia, while South America will be represented by Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia and Ecuador – leaving out both Portugal and Argentina from the equation. Even Cup holders Ukraine got bumped in the qualifying race.
All 24 finalists have emerged following the conclusion of the Africa U-20 Cup in Egypt at the weekend, with champions Senegal, vice champions the Gambia, third-placed Nigeria and fourth-placed Tunisia slated to bear the continent’s touch.
Reigning vice champions Korea Republic, Uzbekistan, Iraq and Japan will be flying Asia’s flag, while USA, Honduras, Guatemala and Dominican Republic will represent North and Central America. Fiji and New Zealand will bear the flag of Oceania.
All the teams will be in the four different pots for the Draw to be conducted at the Taman Werdhi Budaya Art Centre in Denpasar, Bali with Nigeria already slotted into Pot 3. African champions Senegal stay in Pot 1 alongside Italy, USA and France while the Gambia and Tunisia have homes in Pot 4.
The teams will be drawn in six groups of four teams each, with the top two teams from each group and the four best third-place finishers in the six groups making the progress to the Round of 16.
Ukraine won the last championship in France in 2019, having defeated Korea Republic 3-1.
Major blow for premier league sides also jostling for Napoli striker’s signature
Serie A Atalanta 1-2 Napoli: Osimhen overturns La Dea
By Edwin Emeanua
Paris Saint Germain (PSG) officially scuttles into the acquisition race for Serie A Napoli’s striker Victor Osimhen, handing a major blow to the interests of fellow contenders Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United’s already contentious bid to sign the striker this summer.
Osimhen is currently one of the hottest strikers in the universe and is almost sure to help Napoli capture their first league win in decades.
The Nigerian is coveted by several Premier League clubs, with Chelsea, Manchester United, and Arsenal leading the race.
Admin Martin ofJust Arsenal News however reports, that British tabloid, The Sun discloses the Premier League clubs are only some of the sides interested in the Nigerian striker.
The Sun adds that PSG has now joined the race for the former Lille frontman.
PSG could also benefit from the fact that the club’s director Luis Campos was at Lille with Osimhen and could help PSG sway the Nigerian to join the side.
Osimhen is expected do well if he moves to the Emirates or to any of the world’s top clubs considering his talents.
Highlight: World baseball clasic 2023 USA versus Mexico
By Edwin Emeanua
Team U.S.A faces a remarkable quadry early on in the World baseball clasic series following their loss to Mexico on Sunday night in front of a capacity crowd at the Arizona Diamondback Chase Field arena.
The US must now navigate a precarious position as another loss presents Canada with the chance for an insurmountable lead in Pool C should the Canadians emerge victoriuos over their southern neighbors.
The 11-5 loss to Mexico leaves US on 1-1 handing the advantage to the Canadians who are 1-0 following their mercy-rule 18-8 victory on Sunday in seven innings against Great Britain.
“on paper, the U.S. team, they’re pretty sound,” Canada manager Ernie Whitt said on Sunday night after their game against Great Britain.
“We’ll know more about them (Monday). But right now, we’re celebrating this win (over Great Britain), and we’ll take it one day at a time.”
The abridged encounter between involving the Canadians and Great Britain endured 3 hours and 38 minutes with an overall of 13 pitchers for both teams throwing 356 pitches with only about half of them (189) landing on target.
The Canadians posted 18 runs in the tie to equal the World Baseball Classic record set by Japan against China in 2006. Canada also scored 17 hits and 16 walks on the night.
“The boys kept the rally going today,” said Tyler O’Neill, who made four hits, plus a three-run double.
“A lot of good at-bats out there. A lot of walks. It was really fun to watch.”
Canada plans to let loose Matt Bratt right from the beginning against the U.S. Team Canada’s left-hander is among the top posibilities in the Texas Rangers set up.
The U.S. hopes to start right-hander Lance Lynn, a 12 season veteran in the major leagues, now in his third at Chicago White Sox.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Lynn said when pressed for words about starting Monday’s game.
“I’m looking forward to the atmosphere. It should be fun.
“Obviously here it’s a little bit more intense earlier in the year, because spring training games don’t bring that.”
The U.S. plans to re-emerge from Sunday’s defeat by Mexico in which eight pitchers permitted a meld of 15 hits.
The US’ top four batters in the lineup — Mookie Betts, Mike Trout, Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado — went a combined 2-for-14 against Mexico.
Betts is 1-for-10 and Trout 1-for-6 in the first two games.
“No one in here has to impress anybody,” U.S. manager Mark DeRosa said.
“I think sometimes when you get all these great players in one room, everyone’s trying to still feel out who is the alpha in the room. There’s a ton of them.
Omos hauling Brock Lesnar out of the ring 
Serie A Atalanta 1-2 Napoli: Osimhen overturns La Dea