WWE Crown Jewel 2022 sees Roman Reigns face Logan Paul in Riyadh

WWE Crown Jewel 2022 sees Roman Reigns face Logan Paul in Riyadh
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Turki Al-Sheikh, center, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, said that entertainment in the Kingdom has become the focus of the world’s attention
WWE Crown Jewel 2022 sees Roman Reigns face Logan Paul in Riyadh
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Wrestling superstars make special appearances at a WWE press conference at Mrsool Park Stadium in Riyadh. (Huda Bashatah/AN)
WWE Crown Jewel 2022 sees Roman Reigns face Logan Paul in Riyadh
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Wrestling superstars make special appearances at a WWE press conference at Mrsool Park Stadium in Riyadh. (Huda Bashatah/AN)
WWE Crown Jewel 2022 sees Roman Reigns face Logan Paul in Riyadh
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Fans were eager to see their wrestling idols during the WWE press conference at Mrsool Park Stadium in Riyadh. (Huda Bashatah/AN)
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Updated 05 November 2022

WWE Crown Jewel 2022 sees Roman Reigns face Logan Paul in Riyadh

WWE Crown Jewel 2022 sees Roman Reigns face Logan Paul in Riyadh
  • Wrestling titans return to the Saudi capital on Nov. 5 with clash for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship

RIYADH: WWE superstars made special appearances at a WWE press conference at Mrsool Park Stadium in Riyadh on Nov. 4 ahead of their big fights at the stadium on Saturday night.

Fans eagerly watched as Braun Strowman, Omos, Roman Reigns and Logan Paul, as well as female wrestlers Bayley and WWE Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, made special appearances, flexing their muscles in the lead-up to their respective matches.

This year’s contests mark the eighth WWE event in Saudi Arabia, and this time the affair is an even grander occasion, featuring a village constructed around the stadium with food and entertainment kiosks for fans.

Part of Riyadh Season, which runs until Dec. 22, the WWE Crown Jewel is staged under the Kingdom’s General Entertainment Authority, formerly the General Authority for Entertainment, set up by royal decree in May 2016 in tandem with Saudi Vision 2030 to regulate and develop Saudi Arabia’s entertainment sector.

Turki Al-Sheikh, chairman of the GEA, told the press conference that entertainment in the Kingdom has become the focus of the world’s attention due to hosting the best international shows.

Riyadh Season’s diverse international activities bring fun to all, he added.

“Welcome to the WWE launch conference in Riyadh Season 2022. The international competitions of WWE have become part of Riyadh Season, and this sport is followed by hundreds of millions of people with enthusiasm and enjoyment around the world,” Al-Sheikh said.

“We are thrilled to be here, especially as part of Riyadh Season, and to showcase in this beautiful country,” Stephanie McMahon, chairwoman and joint CEO of WWE, told the conference.

“WWE wants to sincerely thank the king, the crown prince, his excellency and all of the wonderful teams here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their continued partnership and friendship.”

In the fight lineup, Bayley will face Belair for a Last Women Standing contest title, a match that Belair discussed in a previous interview on the “Mayman Show” for Arab News.

“It’s an honor to be here and be a part of the Last Woman Standing match. I’m going against Bailey, I’ll be defending my title. We’ve been having this feud for basically going on two years. So it will be exciting to see who the last woman standing is, and finally, hopefully, put an end to this. But I’m just excited to do it here in Saudi Arabia in front of the crowd,” Belair told the press conference.

Two of the most powerful wrestlers, Braun Strowman and Osmos, will go head to head; and the Undisputed Tag Team Champions the Usos will face off against the Brawling Brutes, with the latter aiming to capture the title belts after close misses in recent years.

Meanwhile, the Usos seek to maintain the dominance of the Bloodline, the stable led by Roman Reigns and featuring real-life cousins the Usos and Solo Sikoa.

But the headline match will see Reigns, who recently celebrated his 10-year anniversary with WWE, adding more spark to the event as he defends the Undisputed Universal Championship against the clever Logan Paul in a fans’ favorite showdown.

Fans will be watching in Riyadh and around the world as these WWE superstars go head to head in pivotal fights that could make or break their standing.

Paul told Arab News: “Honestly, like it just doesn’t feel real. I look around and I’m seeing my mug listed on this giant screen and my picture facing the face of the WWE and the pillars that are columns all around. It’s insane.”

The wrestler will have his brother Jake, a boxer and social media personality, in his corner.

“I will have the person who I love most in the world in my corner for the biggest moment of my life,” Paul said.

“This is surreal. I cannot believe this is real life. I’m going make the most of it, man. And you can bet your bottom dollar, I’m coming for that title.”


Ronaldo and Al Nassr to take on PSG during summer friendly in Japan

Ronaldo and Al Nassr to take on PSG during summer friendly in Japan
Updated 16 sec ago

Ronaldo and Al Nassr to take on PSG during summer friendly in Japan

Ronaldo and Al Nassr to take on PSG during summer friendly in Japan
  • The clash between Al-Nassr, who finished second in the Roshn Saudi League, and PSG will be held in Osaka on July 25
  • Messi was not among the players PSG used to illustrate the tour announcement on their website

JAPAN: Cristiano Ronaldo and Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr will take on Paris Saint-Germain during their summer friendlies in Japan.
The clash between Al-Nassr, who finished second in the Roshn Saudi League, and PSG will be held in Osaka on July 25.
However, there will be no head-to-head between Ronaldo and old rival Lionel Messi, with the Argentine set to leave PSG.
Messi was not among the players PSG used to illustrate the tour announcement on their website.
Last summer PSG traveled to Japan to play three local clubs and were greeted by sell-out crowds, even for their training sessions.
They round off their Japan visit against Inter, who play Manchester City in the Champions League final, at Tokyo’s National Stadium on August 1.
PSG clinched a record 11th French title last week as Messi scored in a 1-1 away draw at Strasbourg.
PSG are scheduled to play J-League club Cerezo Osaka on July 28.
City, Bayern Munich and Celtic have also announced tours to Japan this summer.
(With inputs from AFP)


Lebanon looking to make historic progress at 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar

Lebanon looking to make historic progress at 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar
Updated 02 June 2023

Lebanon looking to make historic progress at 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar

Lebanon looking to make historic progress at 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar
  • Despite being placed in tough group with hosts Qatar, China and Tajikistan, the Cedars will look to reach the Round of 16 for the first time
  • Lebanon have a hectic schedule ahead in 2023 as they prepare for a tournament delayed after China pulled out of hosting

The 2023 AFC Asian Cup may be six months away, but preparations have already started for the 24 qualified nations.

Lebanon know that eyes will be on them from day one as they take on hosts Qatar in the opening fixture on Jan. 12, 2024.

Hassan Maatouk, the Cedars’ captain, has stressed the team’s strong spirits and continued preparations to reach their major objective of the quarterfinal, particularly given the considerable time they have set aside for camps and friendly matches in order to find harmony among the players.

In a group with the hosts, China and Tajikistan, it will not be easy, and history is against them.

The competition was moved to January of next year after China pulled out of hosting duties and will end on Feb. 10 with 10 Arab teams taking part, one fewer than the 11 that played in the 2019 edition in the UAE.

Following the curtain-raiser at Al-Bayt Stadium, Lebanon will play China on Jan. 17 and Tajikistan on Jan. 22, both at Al-Thumama Stadium.

They will be hoping for a big improvement in their results at the last edition of the tournament.

Lebanon won only one of its three 2019 matches — 4-1 against North Korea — before suffering losses to Qatar and Saudi Arabia, both with a score of 0-2.

The opener against Qatar certainly looks the most challenging for the Lebanese, for several reasons.

For a start, the Maroons are the reigning champions and will be doing their utmost to retain the title they claimed in the UAE in 2019. Secondly, they will be keen to make amends to their fans after the massive disappointment of the 2022 World Cup.

More will be expected from Lebanon against the other two teams in the group.

Tajikistan are theoretically the easiest opponent and the only team in the group whose FIFA ranking of 109 is lower than Lebanon’s (99). Despite this, the team has managed to make it to the Asian Cup finals for the first time in their history under the leadership of Croatian coach Petar Segrt and should not be taken lightly.

Lebanon will hope that by the time they face China in their final group fixture their chances of progressing to the Round of 16 are still alive.

Since taking over the Cedars in August of last year, Serbian coach Aleksandar Ilic has overseen several poor results.

He has received significant backing from the Football Association in an effort to change the strategy and direction of the Lebanese national team by introducing young players who can keep up with the rapid development of other Asian teams. The team’s last three friendly matches have resulted in away losses to Kuwait in November (2-0), the UAE in December (1-0) and Oman in March (2-0).

Veterans such as Mohamad Haidar, Rabih Ataya, Omar Bugiel, Kassem El-Zein, and Mostafa Matar have been sidelined as younger players like Mohamed Sadek, Ali Tneich, Mohamad Baker El-Housseini, and Ali Al-Hajj have been drafted in.

However, 35-year-old captain Hassan Maatouk, goalkeeper Mehdi Khalil, and midfielder Nader Matar have retained their place in the squad.

The rest of 2023, and the buildup to the AFC Asian Cup, will be hectic as the team takes part in the Intercontinental Cup in India; the 2023 SAFF Championship also in India; the Merdeka Tournament in Malaysia; several friendlies and even the start of the qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup.

As always, logistical and economic challenges abound for the team and its coach, while on the technical side, the players continue to play on artificial pitches at home.

Despite this, Lebanon still have a good chance of making it out of the group stage as the tournament system allows the top two teams in each group, along with the best third-place teams, to advance to the Round of 16.

Such an achievement might seem modest from the outside, but it would be a historic first for the Cedars and will bring a sense of joy and pride to the long-suffering people of Lebanon.


For club, country, Bounou proves hero time and again

For club, country, Bounou proves hero time and again
Updated 02 June 2023

For club, country, Bounou proves hero time and again

For club, country, Bounou proves hero time and again
  • Moroccan goalkeeper named man of match after 2 penalty saves helped Sevilla beat Roma in Europa League final
  • Shotstopper played pivotal role in Morocco’s march to semi-finals of 2022 World Cup in Qatar

RIYADH: Mohamed Salah, Riyad Mahrez, Hakim Ziyech, and Achraf Hakimi are probably the best-known Arab stars active in Europe.

Whether it is for winning trophies, scoring goals, or earning plaudits, they have made plenty of headlines over the years as they play for some of the biggest clubs in the world.

Now, there is another name that has to be mentioned in the same breath and that is Yassine Bounou.

The Moroccan goalkeeper has had quite a few months, and just this week was the toast of Sevilla after helping his team win the Europa League title on Wednesday. In a penalty shootout against Roma in Budapest, Bounou saved penalties from Gianluca Mancini and Roger Ibanez as the Spaniards lifted the trophy for a magnificent seventh time.

The first save from Mancini proved a turning point. After 120 minutes of fractious football ended 1-1, the shootout stood at 2-1 for Sevilla as the Roma captain stepped up. The goalkeeper flung himself to the left, the defender went down the middle, but Bounou somehow got his feet to the ball. As well as a big save, it was an impressive one.

The second from Ibanez was even more impressive, the slight touch that diverted the ball onto the post almost imperceptible at first viewing.

In the chaos of the madcap game, the man known as Bono kept his cool, perhaps helped by football education as a kid on the streets of Casablanca.

“I have already lived moments like this, and I understood that I needed to stay calm today,” he said after the game and a second individual Europa League prize.

“It’s been a year with a lot of emotions, with the World Cup, then Sevilla, and I needed to take it easy for that.”

It was not just about the shootout. Throughout the game he was operating at the highest level and was named man of the match for his heroics. He follows such names as the original Ronaldo, Hernan Crespo, and Brazil’s 1994 World Cup-winning goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel in that particular individual prize.

It was not the first time that he had been named the best player in a high-profile game and, as the 32-year-old pointed out, not the first time he had been saving penalties in high-pressure situations. The last time he did it was against the Spanish, not for them.

After the North Africans topped a tough 2022 World Cup group containing Croatia, Belgium, and Canada they were rewarded with a second-round clash with Spain. Most expected that the run would end there.

Yet Morocco went toe-to-toe with the 2010 champions with a place in the last eight at stake in the knowledge that they had a top-class goalkeeper at the back. After 120 minutes of intense football and no goals, there was a shootout. This time Bounou made two saves, first from Carlos Soler and then from Sergio Busquets.

In the quarterfinals, he starred once again, keeping another clean sheet as the Atlas Lions defeated Portugal 1-0 to become the talk of the World Cup. He was named the man of the match by FIFA.

“Pinch me, I think I’m dreaming,” he said after the game as he looked forward to being part of the first Arab team to reach the last four of the biggest sporting event in the world.

Morocco had become the story of the World Cup, and not just the team but the fans who took over stadiums in Qatar to make every game feel like a home one.

The miracle came to an end against France, but it was another hard-fought game and added to the respect and affection felt for the Moroccans.

The likes of Ziyech and Hakimi, with Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, respectively, played their part but so did the Canadian-born shotstopper.

Bounou was aware of what had been achieved and knew that it was important that the national team built on that success.

“These moments are great, but we’re here to change the mentality. With this feeling of inferiority, we have to get rid of it. The Moroccan player can face any in the world. The generation coming after us will know we can create miracles,” he added.

That is the mentality of a winner and what he said about Morocco could also apply to the Arab world. It is clearly a matter important to the player. At the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, that took place in early 2022, Bounou spoke Arabic even when organizers in Cameroon asked for English and French only as they did not have Arabic translators available.

“This is your problem, not mine,” he said.

The same could be said for opponent players who are facing Bounou from the spot in the latter stages of a major international tournament. In the past few months, he has come to be seen as a leading goalkeeper and there is surely more to come.


Nuggets dominate Heat 104-93 in NBA Finals Game 1

Nuggets dominate Heat 104-93 in NBA Finals Game 1
Updated 02 June 2023

Nuggets dominate Heat 104-93 in NBA Finals Game 1

Nuggets dominate Heat 104-93 in NBA Finals Game 1
  • Two-time Most Valuable Player Jokic scored 27 points with 10 rebounds and 14 assists to lead the Nuggets
  • Bam Adebayo scored 26 points to lead Miami

DENVER: The Denver Nuggets launched their first NBA Finals campaign in franchise history with a dominant 104-93 victory over the Miami Heat on Thursday, propelled by yet another Nikola Jokic triple double.

Two-time Most Valuable Player Jokic scored 27 points with 10 rebounds and 14 assists to lead the Nuggets, who will try to double their advantage in the best-of-seven series when they host Game 2 on Sunday.

Jamal Murray scored 26 points, handed out 10 assists and grabbed six rebounds for the Nuggets, who led by 24 points in the third quarter and repelled the resilient Heat’s fourth quarter challenge.

“We respect their team a lot,” Jokic said. “We just wanted to get the first punch.

“In the first three rounds they won their first game when they traveled on the road and we didn’t want to have that to happen. I think we did a good job.”

Bam Adebayo scored 26 points to lead Miami. Gabe Vincent added 19 and Haywood Highsmith scored 18 off the bench, but Heat star Jimmy Butler was limited to 13.

Trailing by 21 entering the fourth quarter, Miami used an 11-0 run to cut the deficit to 10. Highsmith’s three-pointer got the gap to nine points with 2:34 to play.

But as they had all night, the Nuggets seamlessly pulled away.

Jokic fed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for a jump shot, Caldwell-Pope came up with a steal and Aaron Gordon made two free throws as the Nuggets rebuilt the lead.

Jokic added a pair of free throws and a turnaround jump shot and the ecstatic crowd of 19,528 at Ball Arena in Denver could start the celebrations.

“Everybody contributed,” Jokic said. “It’s a great win for us.”

Jokic was content to play facilitator in the first quarter, handing out six assists as the Nuggets clicked quickly despite the 10-day gap since they finished off their sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals.

Gordon scored 12 points in the first quarter. Jokic didn’t take a shot until the waning seconds of the period, when he stripped the ball from Cody Zeller and made a layup that put Denver up 29-20 at the end of the period.

Meanwhile the Heat, who flew straight to Denver from Boston after finally polishing off the Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday, connected on just nine of their 26 attempts in the first quarter.

“They are in a pretty good rhythm, especially in that first half, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Our disposition, the multiple efforts, the resolve in the second half was much better.

“But you get to this level, it has to be complete games of that kind of disposition.”

Denver kept up the relentless pace in the second quarter, Murray scoring 10 points in the period as the Nuggets connected on 60 percent of their shots.

Four Denver players scored in double figures in the first half. Adebayo had 16 before the break for Miami, but Caleb Martin went 0-for-5 and Max Strus 0-for-7.

Not only were the Heat unable to convert the good looks they had, they couldn’t stop the Nuggets inside. Denver outscored Miami 32-18 in the paint in the first half.

Jokic’s 10 points and 10 assists before the break made him the only player besides LeBron James in the past 25 years to reach double digits in both categories in any half of an NBA Finals game.

He’d post his 15th playoff triple double with his 10th rebound in the fourth quarter.

The Heat quickly sliced the deficit to 10 points to open the third quarter, but Denver had the answer to every adjustment they made.

“Right now the most important thing is to win a game,” Jokic said. “We’re trying to win a game any way possible. I don’t need to shoot, I don’t need to score to affect the game. I think I did a good job today.


Thuram, Wahi, David: Ligue 1 stars set for big summer transfers

Thuram, Wahi, David: Ligue 1 stars set for big summer transfers
Updated 02 June 2023

Thuram, Wahi, David: Ligue 1 stars set for big summer transfers

Thuram, Wahi, David: Ligue 1 stars set for big summer transfers
  • Thuram has been linked with Paris Saint-Germain but looks destined to eventually move to the Premier League
  • Wahi was nominated for the Ligue 1 young player of the year prize after an outstanding season at Montpellier

PARIS: As the Ligue 1 season comes to an end this weekend, AFP Sport looks at five stars of the French top flight who could make big-money moves when the transfer window opens:

The 22-year-old comes from the highest footballing stock, as the son of France 1998 World Cup hero Lilian Thuram and the younger brother of Marcus, who appeared for Les Bleus in their defeat by Argentina in the recent World Cup final.

Khephren Thuram is a bounding midfielder who has been a shining light for Nice in a difficult season for the club owned by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos group. His performances led to him being named in the Ligue 1 team of the season, and he made his full France debut in March. Thuram, who started his career at Monaco where he was given his debut by Thierry Henry, will play for France at the upcoming Under-21 Euro.

Nice will not want to sell a player who is under contract until 2025, but they may struggle to resist a big offer. Thuram has been linked with Paris Saint-Germain but looks destined to eventually move to the Premier League. Liverpool are the latest club rumored to be lining up a bid.

The 20-year-old striker was nominated for the Ligue 1 young player of the year prize after an outstanding season at Montpellier, for whom he has scored 17 league goals. The France Under-21 international also won the goal of the season award for one outrageous overhead kick against Lyon.

Under contract for two more years, Montpellier will be able to command a huge fee for a player who reportedly has a preference to remain in France for now even if he does depart his current club.

“We will see what the future holds. At the end of the season we will talk about it with the people involved,” the ambitious Wahi told L’Equipe earlier this year. “If I can follow in the footsteps of (Kylian) Mbappe, that would be great,” he added.

The midfielder, 24, is hardly a raw young prospect. Fofana played for France at the World Cup, coming off the bench in the final. Full international recognition for the Parisian was the reward for his impressive form at Monaco, where he enjoyed a superb partnership with Aurelien Tchouameni before the latter joined Real Madrid last year.

Fofana went from France’s national youth academy at Clairefontaine to delivering pizzas before getting his breakthrough at Strasbourg and then joining Monaco in 2020. Out of contract next year, Monaco are expected to cash in on a player who recently indicated that playing for hometown team PSG was something he “dreamed of.”

In recent years Lille have made huge profits selling their best attacking players abroad, from Eden Hazard to Nicolas Pepe and Victor Osimhen. Canada forward David is likely to be the next to be sold by the northern side, who paid a reported €27 million plus bonuses to Belgian club Gent for his services in 2020.

The 23-year-old has become Lille’s top scorer this century, helping fire them to the title in his first season and netting 26 goals in this campaign.

Fast and strong, the Brooklyn-born star did not enjoy a successful World Cup with Canada but that is unlikely to put off suitors and the Premier League appears his most likely destination.

Lens have been the sensation of the French season, securing second place behind PSG. Their success has been first and foremost collective, but several individuals have stood out. The club will hope to keep most of their squad together for an assault on the Champions League, but the team with the best defensive record in France are likely to receive offers for their standout center-backs.

The 24-year-old Danso is one of them, and the Austrian international — named in the Ligue 1 team of the year — could be keen on a move to England, After all, he was brought up there after moving to Milton Keynes aged six. He spent time in the academies at Reading and MK Dons, and had a loan spell at Southampton in 2019/20.